The Countryside Alliance (CA) is urging people to take action in support of their local Boxing Day meets.
The organisation is asking people to write to their local council leaders to express support for meets to continue in the heart of their communities.
The CA has warned targeted campaigns by anti-hunting organisations are putting meets at risk.
“Boxing Day meets are a special occasion in the hunting calendar, with hundreds of thousands of people turning out to support hunts throughout the festive period,” said Polly Portwin, head of hunting at the CA.
“It would be a travesty if councils denied those people who support local packs of hounds the opportunity to show their appreciation at meets this Boxing Day.
“We are asking people to act now to protect this annual spectacle by filling in our form to send a letter of support to their local council leaders.”
The CA stressed it is calling on everyone who wants to see meets continuing in these public places throughout the festive season to write to their councils. It has an automatic letter-generator on its website where people can enter their postcodes and send the pre-prepared letter directly to their local council leaders.
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“Many of these meets are supported by hundreds and even thousands of people from the local community, as well as those associated with their local packs of hounds, and the Countryside Alliance is asking everyone to add their voice to the campaign,” added a spokesman for the organisation.
“Sending the letter via the Countryside Alliance website will show support for those local councils that are being pressurised into cancelling their meets.
“Meeting in the middle of towns and villages often means meeting on council-owned or managed land, and the alliance is calling on everyone to support those councils that allow these events to take place.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
