Heythrop kennel-huntsman Julian Barnfield is retiring from hunt service.

In a statement, the hunt said that after 21 seasons as a professional huntsman, Mr Barnfield had not enjoyed his new position as kennel-huntsman and was leaving immediately, by mutual agreement.

It continued: “Julian and the Heythrop will continue vigorously to combat the charges that have been laid against him and others by the RSPCA.”

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (1 November 2012)

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The RSPCA has dropped its private prosecution against Heythrop huntsman Julian Barnfield.

The charity had accused Mr Barnfield of unlawful hunting on two occasions during the 2010-11 season, an accusation Mr Barnfield denied.

But the charity offered no evidence and, on Friday, 3 August, notified Mr Barnfield’s solicitor that it was dropping the case.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (16 August 2012)

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The Heythrop hunt cast aside their hunting kit and proved to the audience that they really do have talent.

Over 350 people gathered at the Cotswold School in Bourton-on-the-Water on 7 March to cheer and holloa the hunt’s charity talent show.

The Heythrop’s “singing secretary”, Guy Avis who has been in office for 18 years, pointed out: “The last event the hunt did in this vein was back in the early 1980s when they put on a review — it was definitely time to make fools of ourselves!”

All generations took to the stage in 18 (alcohol-enhanced) performances, including Abba, the Worzels and Take That — aka Hunt That.

No act evoked more cheers than that of huntsman Julian Barnfield’s rendition of Once Upon a Time I had a Lover.

More than £4,000 was raised for the hunt, from which a donation will be made to the young people’s charity, Eloise and Katie Memorial Trust.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (19 March, ’09)

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Charges of illegal hunting have been dropped against Heythrop huntsman Julian Barnfield.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today dropped the high-profile case against Mr Barnfield. The huntsman was charged with four offences of hunting a fox, relating to incidents between November 2008 and February 2009.

The decision comes after the CPS announced it had no plans to appeal a High Court ruling that effectively weakened the Hunting Act 2004.

Mr Barnfield told H&H: “It’s now becoming apparent that it’s an unworkable law, that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

The High Court ruled in February that “searching” for a mammal was not hunting, and that hunting could only be an “intentional” activity.

Mr Barnfield’s solicitor, Tim Hayden, said: “My client had been engaged in lawful trail hunting, which had been wrongly interpreted to be unlawful hunting by the prosecution.

“Hopefully the recent High Court decision will help to ensure those people who take part in lawful hunting will not be wrongly suspected to be unlawfully hunting in future.”

Julian Barnfield added: “Hunt staff are under a lot of pressure, and when you’re filmed day-in-day-out, it’s not easy to do your job.”

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Heythrop huntsman Julian Barnfield has pleaded not guilty to three charges of hunting a wild mammal with dogs contrary to the Hunting Act 2004.

Mr Barnfield, of the Heythrop Kennels in Chipping Norton, did not appear at Cheltenham Magistrates Court for the hearing on 4 August, but entered the pleas through his solicitor.

The case was adjourned for a pre-trial review on 3 November at the same court.

A High Court judicial review into where the burden of proof lies in hunting cases — whether a hunt must prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was not hunting illegally or whether it is for the prosecution to prove the reverse — will have a bearing on Mr Barnfield’s and other cases involving hunts.

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The first case to be brought by the state for illegal fox hunting has been adjourned while legal teams view filmed evidence.

Heythrop huntsman Julian Barnfield, was due to be prosecuted for allegedly killing a fox on 21 July, but Cheltenham magistrates have agreed to put the hearing back until 4 August after his solicitors asked for filmed footage.

Mr Barnfield, 44, was due to answer three charges of hunting a wild mammal with dogs.

The allegations relate to incidents on 17 November 2007 in Cold Aston, Cheltenham, 23 January 2008 in Adlestrop, Moreton-in-Marsh and 7 February 2008 in Barrington, Gloucestershire.

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A professional huntsman from the Heythrop hunt will face the first prosecution in the UK by police for allegedly killing a fox.

Julian Barnfield, 44, of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, faces three charges of hunting a wild animal with dogs on 17 November 2007 and 23 January and 7 February 2008.

The Heythrop covers Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire and attracts a great deal of attention and filming by antis, according to Tim Bonner of the Countryside Alliance.

Mr Barnfield will appear at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 21 July.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (29 May, ’08)

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