Latest from Horse & Hound in British-hound-sports-association

Tens of thousands turn out to support trail-hunting at festive meets

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 14:04:07 +0000

Tens of thousands of people turned out to support hunting over the festive period, and thousands backed a new campaign to oppose restrictions on trail-hunting.

Huge crowds were reported across the country, for what are expected to be the last Boxing Day and New Year’s Day meets before the next general election.

The scenes came as Labour has committed to “strengthen” the Hunting Act should the party gain power.

The Countryside Alliance warned Labour not to engage in a “toxic culture war” by legislating to ban hunting again and urged leader Keir Starmer to “right the wrongs of the past” and end its “running attack on rural communities”. The Alliance used festive meets to officially launch its Action for Hunting campaign, signing up supporters ready to “springboard into action” to oppose any new restrictions on hunting.

Alliance director of hunting Polly Portwin said: “Hunts have yet again been welcomed by a huge number of supporters who have gathered in all weathers in high streets, town squares, outside pubs and in fields.

“That any politician or activist could look at these scenes and want to see that way of life legislated against for political kicks, is deeply disturbing. Any new legislation would be a pointless waste of time and create division in the countryside, the likes of which have not been seen since the last Labour government passed the Hunting Act in 2004.

“Ultimately, the countryside doesn’t want to have a fight over hunting again, but it will not sit back and allow itself to be bullied or become victim to a toxic culture war.”

Ollie Cornock is joint-master of the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase, which was cheered through Winslow high street on Boxing Day.

He said: “Yet again we’ve had a wonderful reception in Winslow where the crowds seem to get bigger each year and we are pleased to see so many sign up to protect hunting with hounds for future generations. We are incredibly grateful for this continued support from locals and those who travel some distance to show their support for our wonderful hounds.”

A spokesman for the British Hound Sports Association told H&H: “We were delighted by the number of followers this year – as always rural communities have come out in force, up and down the country to express their support. This year we asked the hunts to send us photos of the crowds at their Boxing Day meets with an estimated number that attended. From those hunts that did so, the total attendance stands at 86,500 people in their town or village squares. It’s a genuine endorsement of trail hunting and the benefits it provides for rural communities.”

You might also be interested in:

(Image credit: Emma Herrod)

Trail-hunting demo days receive ‘excellent response’, with more planned

(Image credit: Emma Herrod)

First trail-hunting trials day celebrated best practice and hounds’ music

(Image credit: Emma Herrod)

The fight for ‘liberty and livelihood’ continues, 20 years on

(Image credit: Emma Herrod)

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Trail-hunting demo days receive ‘excellent response’, with more planned

Eleanor Jones — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 19:33:56 +0000

Three trail-hunting demonstration days have been open to both opponents and supporters, and more are planned as part of work to protect and preserve the sport.

The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) hosted the events, the last of which was in Gloucestershire on 12 December. The aim was to show “how hunts are following the letter of the law in their preparations for every hunt day, and show trail hunting working successfully”.

BHSA managing director Oliver Hughes told H&H: “These trail hunting demonstration days have had an excellent response from supporters and from local and national media. Even groups who deny that trail hunting is a legitimate, legal, and well-regulated sport have shown an interest in attending to learn more.

“The events have demonstrated how hunts across the country are following the letter of the law in their preparations for every hunt day and have shown how trail hunting works.

“We need to be open about our sport to prove that those who deny trail hunting exists are entirely wrong.”

Mr Hughes said there were more than 11,000 days of trail hunting last year, attended by thousands of people.

“We expect all hunts to operate not only within the confines of the Hunting Act but also within our own BHSA code of conduct,” he said. “In doing so, hunts are maintaining the traditions of the sport and giving all supporters and followers, whether mounted or on foot, a fantastic opportunity to see hounds working in beautiful countryside. Any member of the public is welcome at our demonstrations so all those interested should contact us and come along to one of our next events to be held in spring next year.”

Polly Portwin, hunting director at the Countryside Alliance told H&H: “The Alliance has long been encouraging hunts to use every opportunity to demonstrate their lawful hunting activities to the widest audience possible such as at county shows, game fairs and point-to-points. Each year Boxing Day meets remain hugely popular and again, provide a suitable occasion to showcase trail hunting to the public. We welcome these events and look forward to seeing more and more hunts engage further with their local communities, offering reassurance that their activities are legitimate and acceptable.”

A beginner’s guide to trail hunting: all your key questions answered

Madeleine Silver — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:24:31 +0000

Never been hunting, but would love to have a go? H&H explains how to get started and answers your questions during hunting’s Newcomers’ Week (21-28 October 2023)

Never been trail hunting, but would love to have a go? H&H explains how to get started with our beginner’s guide to trail hunting, which answers the most common questions from first-timers ahead of Newcomers’ Week (21-28 October 2023).

How do I find out where to go?

To find your local hunt, visit bhsa.org.uk. Then ring the hunt secretary. This applies for any day’s hunting when you are not a subscriber to that particular pack. Ask him or her whether you can come out, where the meet is, where you should park and how much you have to pay. This is called the “cap”. It will vary enormously between hunting countries depending on how old you are and whether you are planning to follow on a horse or on foot. Packs often do good deals for under-25s and people who farm within the hunting country.

Do I need a companion?

If you can persuade a hunting friend with a well-behaved horse to accompany you, great, particularly if your horse hasn’t been out before. But it’s not essential. Tell the hunt secretary this is your first time, or that you are fairly inexperienced on the hunting field. He/she may be able to suggest someone to look after you for the day, and at least will be aware and able to keep an eye on you.

Is my horse suitable?

The answer is that you don’t really know until you get there, but there is no reason why any horse shouldn’t learn to hunt well. Many horses get a little overexcited by being at such a terrific “party”, but can you blame them? Autumn hunting is perfect for horses who haven’t hunted, and for young, green animals because things happen at a more gentle pace. There is often more standing-around time for them to absorb what’s going on. If your horse is used to busy collecting rings and doesn’t mind dogs around his feet, there’s every chance he’ll be fine. Use your brain and stay to the side of the main field so your horse has a chance to look at what’s going on, rather than throwing him straight into the middle of the group.

Do I need to plait?

Not during autumn trail hunting, which extends until the opening meet at the beginning of November. After that most people will plait up, out of smartness and courtesy to those whose land they are crossing, but it’s not compulsory. Manes should be neat, tidy and clean, but you shouldn’t get sent home for not plaiting.

What should I wear?

Looking smart is essential – think competition smart and take pride in your appearance. a tweed jacket and shirt (with tie collar) and tie or shirt (with stock collar) and coloured stock, pale breeches, clean short boots and gaiters/half-chaps or long boots, dark gloves and a hat with a dark cover.

After the opening meet, in the season proper, adults tend to wear black or navy coats, but you will see some in tweed. If you don’t own a tweed coat for autumn hunting, don’t worry about it too much. Girls: make use of a hairnet, make-up is fine, but not don’t overdo it, and take off jewellery unless you want to risk tearing your earlobes off on low branches. Body protectors are acceptable, but wear it under your jacket rather than over it if you can.

What should my horse wear?

If you aren’t sure about your brakes, err on the side of caution or take a stronger bit/martingale in the lorry with you. Numnahs should be dark and follow the shape of the saddle — save that white dressage square for another day. If you know your horse might kick, put a red ribbon on his tail and stay well out of the way whenever possible. Kicking a horse or a rider is bad enough, but kicking a hound is the worst thing you can do. You will get sent home, so make sure your horse’s head is turned towards hounds, not his backside. A green ribbon denotes a young horse, and if someone puts the back of their hand in the hollow of their back, it means “don’t get too close”.

Should he wear boots?

This is up to you. If you live in wall country, knee boots are de rigeur. Otherwise it’s your choice, and you know what suits your horse. But remember the boots will be on for a lot longer during the course of a hunting day than they would be during a cross-country round, and the risks of rubbing and overheating are greater. You’ll find plenty do and plenty don’t.

Will I have to jump huge hedges?

Of course not. Even if your hunt has a reputation for being a serious jumping pack, you can always go round — and there will be other people taking the roundabout route, too. Only jump what you feel happy with; it’s not a competition.

How fit does my horse need to be?

Very rarely does trail hunting involve galloping flat-out for very long, and autumn hunting in particular can involve a lot of standing around. Your horse needs to be fit enough to canter up a hill without collapsing, but really doesn’t need to be racehorse-fit. And you can go home whenever you like — don’t feel compelled to stay out for hours if you and your horse are knackered.

Golden rules for first-timers

Find out who the master is and say good morning
Never overtake the field master, and always listen carefully to his instructions
Always thank traffic that slows down or stops
Never block the road
Don’t park in gateways or driveways unless specifically told you can
If you hear the shout “huntsman please!” or “whip please!” get out of the way sharpish so they can get through
Always call them hounds, not dogs
If the person in front of you shouts “gate, please!”, pass it back to the next person, unless you are last through, in which case you should shut it, unless told otherwise
Do turn your mobile phone off, and talk quietly while standing at the side of a covert — the huntsman will not be pleased to hear you shrieking about what you got up to the night before
Never ride across the middle of a field of sown corn, even if you see hunt staff doing so
Do ask questions about what is going on. The more you understand about a day’s hunting, the more you will enjoy it. People will be very happy to answer your queries
Do find the field master/master/secretary before you go home and say thank you and good night, which is the traditional way to say goodbye — even at 9am

Appeal against ‘staggering’ police notice issued to hunt

Eleanor Jones — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:50:08 +0000

THE issuing of a community protection notice to the Warwickshire Hunt, breaching which would be a criminal offence, has been described as “hasty, extreme and staggering”.

The Warwickshire Police rural crime team announced on 14 December that it had warned the hunt in May about “antisocial use of the country road network”, but that it was still seeing “unreasonable and dangerous use of the roads”.

“There are also requirements to inform us about who will control dogs during the event, and for the organisation to notify participants about their responsibilities around crossing roads at designated points,” a spokesman for the rural crime team said. “Breaching the conditions will amount to a criminal offence.”

Warwickshire Hunt chairman Sam Butler told H&H the hunt is appealing the decision.

“This is a hasty and extreme action taken by the police,” he said. “The Warwickshire Hunt will be appealing this notice and has every expectation that it will be set aside. There is no justification for issuing the notice and the rural community will be extremely surprised that the police have time to pursue such issues while the vast majority of rural crime goes unaddressed.”

British Hound Sports Association managing director Oliver Hughes told H&H the association is supporting the hunt in its appeal and agrees with its expectation that the notice will be set aside.

Countryside Alliance campaign for hunting director Polly Portwin pointed out that the alliance’s rural crime survey indicated that issues such as agricultural machinery theft and fly-tipping are the major concerns of the rural community in Warwickshire.

“So this action will do very little to enhance relationships between the police and those who live and work in isolated areas,” she told H&H. “It is staggering that Warwickshire Police have taken these extreme measures against a lawful activity such as trail-hunting, while appearing to do very little to combat the actual crimes which affect the wider rural community. We support the Warwickshire Hunt in their appeal and look forward to this notice being overturned.”

Warwickshire Police assistant chief constable Ben Smith told H&H the force has been notified of the appeal and as the case is therefore ongoing, he could not comment on the details of the evidence that “forms part of the notice”.

“As Warwickshire Police, we will continue to remain impartial with our primary aim of upholding the law and seeking to balance the respective rights of the hunt with those members of the community who have raised concerns about their conduct,” he said. “Ultimately, it will be for a court to decide as to where that balance lies. The matter is currently with the court and both parties are awaiting notification of a court date.”

First trail-hunting trials day celebrated best practice and hounds’ music

Eleanor Jones — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:06:10 +0000

THE first British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) Trail-Hunting Hound Trials was not only “a showcase of best practice” but also demonstrating the quality of hunting’s governance.

Three hunts took part in the competition, held in Gloucestershire on 30 October, to show their hounds’ skills in following a laid trail. Some 300 people gathered as the packs, each of which was given an area of land an an hour to lay a trail, went into action.

Matt Ramsden, joint-master and huntsman of the Duke of Beaufort’s, and Philip Hague, professional huntsman of the VWH, were mounted to judge the Cheshire Forest, hunted by Tom Wright, the East Essex under huntsman Gary Thorpe and the Crawley and Horsham, hunted by joint-master and huntsman Richard Gurney. The packs were judged on accuracy, voice, drive, cohesion and casting.

First prize went to the Cheshire Forest.

“All three packs were put under quite difficult conditions today in that they were all hunting on ‘Cotswold brash’, and arable brash at that, which their hounds would not be used to,” Mr Ramsden said. “Add into that a lot of wind, and under those conditions the Cheshire Forest kept themselves up together, made some lovely hound music and cast themselves beautifully, and as a result of that stuck to their trail very well indeed.”

Each pack used a different scent mixture and a different way of laying the trail; a runner, a quad bike and a combination of both.

Mr Thorpe said: “We introduce the young hounds to trails over the summer. I couldn’t be more pleased with how they hunted a fresh country today.”

BHSA managing director Oliver Hughes told H&H: “It seems to me really important the hunting community comes up with proactive ideas to demonstrate that trail-hunting is a well regulated, well managed, fun, healthy activity.”

He added: “This is a showcase of best practice in modern hunting. Coming from a professional polo background [he was formerly deputy chief executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association], I see it as a logical progression to introduce a competitive element for hunts to demonstrate skills and techniques as well as types of hounds and different scents.

“Today has been a great success and a fun day out. I hope that this can be used as a template for future events to build on and we will see this will become one of several annual events across the country. Hunts compete against each other at the hound shows each summer, and now we can establish a new tradition of competition that demonstrates the wonderful abilities for which our hounds have been so carefully bred for hundreds of years.”

New governance is planned for hunting

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 17:03:43 +0000

A new system of governance is planned for hunting, with the mantra: “Nothing less than excellent is acceptable”.

Master of Foxhounds Association chairman Andrew Osborne has updated members of the hunting community on the ongoing review on the sport’s governance, which was announced at the end of last year.

H&H reported that the review would look at the potential for a new governing body, so the community can “move forward to preserve, promote and protect the sport we all love” (news, 16 December).

In his update, Mr Osborne said three main areas of focus have been established so far.

“It has been suggested and widely accepted that the hunting associations should step back from the overall governance and supervision of hunting; instead, we are aiming to have two separate organisations,” he said.

These will be a governing body, responsible for governance of all hunting activities, and setting rules and standards, and a separate regulatory body to administer regulation and deal with any disciplinary matters.

The hunting associations will remain, but play no role in governance; there is “no expectation that hunts or individual members will have to pay additional fees overall”.

All hunts will be invited to join the governing body, which will be “inclusive and representative of the whole community”. Huntsmen and kennel-huntsmen will be members, as well as hunt officials, and hunts will be assessed and accredited to “validate the high standards of hunting activities in the field and animal welfare in hunt kennels”.

“We are focusing resources on more proactive and promotional public relations,” Mr Osborne said. Hunting activities, work in hunt kennels and the work of the hunting community should be communicated openly and clearly to the public and we are working on mechanisms to highlight all the environmental good hunts do and the positive impact they have in the countryside.

“Our mantra will continue to be ‘nothing less than excellent is acceptable’. With this in mind, our goal will be the protection, promotion and preservation of our core values, so we can continue to enjoy the sport we all love for many years to come.”

More details will be circulated in the near future, and the aim is to take the ideas to hunting association AGMs this summer so plans are in place for the start of next season.

Mr Osborne added: “If we get this right, the masters and huntsmen of today will be paving the way for a new generation to carry hunting on into a new era, hunting will continue to be an intrinsic part of the modern countryside and hounds will still be the glue that binds together so many rural communities.”

Latest from Horse & Hound in British-hound-sports-association

Tens of thousands turn out to support trail-hunting at festive meets

The scenes came as Labour has committed to “strengthen” the Hunting Act should the party gain power.

Alliance director of hunting Polly Portwin said: “Hunts have yet again been welcomed by a huge number of supporters who have gathered in all weathers in high streets, town squares, outside pubs and in fields.

“Ultimately, the countryside doesn’t want to have a fight over hunting again, but it will not sit back and allow itself to be bullied or become victim to a toxic culture war.”

Ollie Cornock is joint-master of the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase, which was cheered through Winslow high street on Boxing Day.

You might also be interested in:

Trail-hunting demo days receive ‘excellent response’, with more planned

“The events have demonstrated how hunts across the country are following the letter of the law in their preparations for every hunt day and have shown how trail hunting works.

“We need to be open about our sport to prove that those who deny trail hunting exists are entirely wrong.”

Mr Hughes said there were more than 11,000 days of trail hunting last year, attended by thousands of people.

You might also be interested in:

A beginner’s guide to trail hunting: all your key questions answered

How do I find out where to go?

Do I need a companion?

Is my horse suitable?

Do I need to plait?

What should I wear?

What should my horse wear?

Should he wear boots?

Will I have to jump huge hedges?

How fit does my horse need to be?

Golden rules for first-timers

You might also be interested in:

Appeal against ‘staggering’ police notice issued to hunt

The notice “imposes conditions to address this behaviour”, under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. These mean the hunt must notify police in advance of “events”, and of the times and locations of road crossing points.

Warwickshire Hunt chairman Sam Butler told H&H the hunt is appealing the decision.

Warwickshire Police assistant chief constable Ben Smith told H&H the force has been notified of the appeal and as the case is therefore ongoing, he could not comment on the details of the evidence that “forms part of the notice”.

You might also be interested in:

First trail-hunting trials day celebrated best practice and hounds’ music

First prize went to the Cheshire Forest.

Each pack used a different scent mixture and a different way of laying the trail; a runner, a quad bike and a combination of both.

Mr Thorpe said: “We introduce the young hounds to trails over the summer. I couldn’t be more pleased with how they hunted a fresh country today.”

BHSA managing director Oliver Hughes told H&H: “It seems to me really important the hunting community comes up with proactive ideas to demonstrate that trail-hunting is a well regulated, well managed, fun, healthy activity.”

You might also be interested in:

New governance is planned for hunting

In his update, Mr Osborne said three main areas of focus have been established so far.

“It has been suggested and widely accepted that the hunting associations should step back from the overall governance and supervision of hunting; instead, we are aiming to have two separate organisations,” he said.

These will be a governing body, responsible for governance of all hunting activities, and setting rules and standards, and a separate regulatory body to administer regulation and deal with any disciplinary matters.

The hunting associations will remain, but play no role in governance; there is “no expectation that hunts or individual members will have to pay additional fees overall”.

“Our mantra will continue to be ‘nothing less than excellent is acceptable’. With this in mind, our goal will be the protection, promotion and preservation of our core values, so we can continue to enjoy the sport we all love for many years to come.”

More details will be circulated in the near future, and the aim is to take the ideas to hunting association AGMs this summer so plans are in place for the start of next season.

You might also be interested in: