Beagle hunt disbands after 70 years
A 70-year-old beagle hunt that recovered from having its entire pack stolen by animal rights extremists has been disbanded.
The Wye College Beagles (WCB), which formed in 1947, held its last meet at the former dairy unit of Wye College farm last month (22 March).
Wye College, which was owned by Imperial College London, closed in 2009, and after a further 5 years the decision has been taken that the pack is no longer viable.
Tim Bonner, speaking on behalf of the pack as a former master and huntsman, said: “The WCB were largely run and staffed by students until the college closed.
“The current team have done an amazing job to keep the pack going for as long as they have after the closure.”
The hunt faced ruin in 2001 when the Animal Liberation Front stole 47 beagles in a night-time raid. But staff managed to rebuild the pack through generous donations,
“Not even the cruel action by animal rights extremists could keep the WCB down,” Tim added.
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“The last meet was attended by many who had enjoyed great times through the years with the WCB. It was a fitting celebration of a great little pack.”
This article was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (3 April 2014)
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.