Crowds turn out as hunts stand united against ban (From Gazette & Herald)

Crowds turn out as hunts stand united against ban

HUNTS in the Ryedale area had their biggest turnouts in living memory on Saturday - just 24 hours after the new ban on hunting with dogs came into force.

Police said there had been no incidents or evidence of many anti-hunt protesters at any of the meets in North Yorkshire.

While crowds turned out to watch the riders and hounds at the various meets, the hunts had to re-plan their traditional day's sport, with many laying trails of scent which were pursued by the hounds, while others went on cross-country routes to exercise the packs.

The Saltersgate Hunt saw its biggest turn-out for years. Nearly 50 horses and hundreds of foot-followers joined joint master Andrew Brown at the Fox and Rabbit Inn on the Pickering to Whitby road.

"We just exercised the hounds, taking them to Newton, Stape and Elleron Lodge, before returning to

the kennels," he said.

The 70-year-old hunt, unlike many others, has a major problem, said Mr Brown, because 90 per cent of the area it covers - spanning Levisham Moor and the forests of Cropton and Dalby - is owned either by the Forestry Commission or the national park.

"We shall try to keep going but we don't know what the future holds," said Mr Brown, who has been master for five years, taking over from his father who led it for 25 years.

Among those riding with the hunt on Saturday was his eight-year-old son, George. "He loves hunting," said Mr Brown. "There had been no signs of anti-hunt protesters," he added.

"It was a tremendous turnout - sometimes we have been down to three horses for some meets, but Saturday was very different."

The centuries-old Staintondale, which met at Barmoor Cottages, Scalby, also had a record turn out of more than 40 followers on horseback plus hundreds of other spectators.

Frederick Fairburn, joint master of the Sinnington Hunt, which met at Lady Clarissa Collin's home at Pockley, said: "We had a really good day with at least 100 horses and about 1,000 people attending the meet.

"Normally, we probably get around 40 horses and 100 followers. There were no protesters, so far as I could see, but there were a lot of people who had come to a meet for the first time."

Mr Fairburn said a drag hunt had been run and the hounds were exercised, but he thought there had been "some illegal game on the move". The hunt had seen a fox and a deer. "We don't hunt deer and the fox got away."

The hunt's other joint master and secretary, Bridget Till, said: "We hunted within the law but it was a very different type of meet. We tried to make it as entertaining as possible."

George Atkinson, who has been hunting with the Farndale for some 60 years, said it had joined with the Sinnington and Ampleforth Beagles at the Pockley meet.

"There was a tremendous lot of people. We did several different trails. It wasn't my type of hunting because the Farndale is a foot-hunt - we have hardly any horseriders."

The future of the Farndale is also unknown, he said, because drag

or trail hunting was not an option, due to the followers being on foot. It was possible that some "flushing out" of foxes might happen with hounds and guns, or rabbits could be hunted legally. "We shall just have to wait and see," he added.

At the meet of the Bilsdale - the oldest hunt in Britain - Reynard turned the tables, explained master Harry Stephenson: "We found the fox was following us, not the other way round - it was amazing!"

Like many other hunts, the Bilsdale - founded by The Duke of Buckingham in 1658 - pursued three trails for the hounds after setting off from Tyles Farm, Rievaulx.

"It was a well-attended meet with 40 horses and about 70 cars of followers. Normally, we only get 25 horses and four or five cars," said coach company boss Mr Stephenson. There were no saboteurs he added.

"We do need to control foxes in this area because they destroy game and shooting is big business in Bilsdale."

The hunt covers an area from Thirsk to Stokesley, and Cold Kirby to Chop Gate.

"We want to work within the law, but we have to protect the game birds because they are vital to people's livelihoods."

Foxes, which in the past have been given a reprieve when they have gone to ground in their lair, will be dug out in future because of their threat to game shooting, said Mr Stephenson.

The Bilsdale will be out next Saturday and plans to hunt twice weekly until the end of the season when there will be a champagne breakfast and cross-country run at Felixkirk.

At the Derwent Hunt, 80 mounted followers and more than 300 foot-followers arrived at the kennels in Snainton, making it the biggest gathering ever of the hunt. Again, there were no anti-hunt protesters, and supporters ranged from the very old to babes in arms and every age group in between.

About 160 hunter horses, twice as many foot followers and scores of people turned out as the Middleton Hunt met at Birdsall, near Malton.

Meanwhile, the League Against Cruel Sports' chairman, John Cooper, said: "The hunting ban is a massive leap forward to the creation of a decent and humane society.

"Our children and grandchildren will grow up into a better and kinder world as a result of the ban.

"In turn, their children will view the chase of a wild animal with a pack of dogs as being just as archaic and misplaced as bear baiting which Parliament banned in 1835."

John Rolls, the RSPCA's director of animal welfare protection, said: "Pro-hunters must finally accept that this just and valid law reflects the will of the majority who can no longer tolerate cruelty inflicted on animals in the name of sport or tradition."

He added: "The Countryside Alliance has lost its argument with the public, with Parliament and in the courts.

"It would be better off instructing its members that they are duty bound to abide by the new law, rather than wasting money, mounting futile challenges in the courts."

Updated: 10:53 Wednesday, February 23, 2005