Crowds turn out to cheer on traditional Boxing Day hunt
Thousands of people turned out to see Boxing Day hunts this year – but icy weather prevented the huntsmen and hounds from riding out.
The frozen ground made it too dangerous for riders from the Fernie, Atherstone and Quorn Hunts to carry out their planned trail hunting.
However, members did gather to exercise their packs and put on a spectacle for crowds who gathered to mark the most important day in the hunting calendar.
Riders from the Fernie Hunt met at The Green in Great Bowden near Market Harborough in front of more than 500 enthusiastic supporters.
Hunt joint master Chris Parker said the turnout demonstrated that five years on from the ban which made pursuing foxes with hounds illegal, hunting was still popular.
He said the hunting community of Leicestershire were still working to try to get the ban repealed.
He said: "We will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. "We have maintained the infrastructure of hunting which is vital to the countryside for the day when the ban is overturned.
"It is a shame we cannot hunt today but the ground is iron hard and it would be too dangerous for the horses and the riders.
"The season so far has been severely curtailed by the weather but there is not much we can do about that.
"At least we were still able to come out and put on a show for the public who want to see us."
Lisa Logalbo, 30, from Lubenham brought her son Charlie, eight, to see the riders and hounds.
She said: "It's a Christmas tradition. Charlie loves playing with the hounds but I'm a bit worried he'll want to take one home with him."
Sarah Smith, 25, from Market Harborough, said: "If the ban lasts for another 100 years I think huge numbers of people will still come out on Boxing Day.
"You can't erase hundreds of years of tradition with one rubbish law."
The hounds and horses of Quorn Hunt assembled at Prestwold Hall near Loughborough in front of about 1,000 people.
Hunt spokesman and Countryside Alliance chief executive Alice Barnard said: "We are so grateful to everyone who ventured out in pretty horrible conditions to see the hunt."
Around 1,000 people also gathered in Market Bosworth for the Atherstone meet.
Helen Milner, spokeswoman for the Atherstone Hunt, said: "We've been defeated by the weather in terms of actual hunting but that has not prevented us having a fantastic day."
Some 300 hunt supporters also gathered in Oakham to support yesterday's Cottesmore meet.
The Belvoir hunt met in Grantham.
Louise Robertson from League Against Cruel Sports said: "The bad weather has proved an important point because the hunts have met and enjoyed their traditions but no fox has had to die.
"Given that, it is strange the hunt lobby are so desperate to get a repeal."
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by John Bull, Leicester
Thursday, December 30 2010, 3:51PM
“'So John Bull thinks we should shoot foxes humanely then - would he have the same views about thugs and vandals that do more damage on our streets?'
I have no problems at all with foxes being shot IF they are a problem, afterall conservationists throughout the UK cull large numbers of wild deer annually to stop them rampaging through the countryside. No other mammal has the same level of intelligence as us (in the case of a fox they are about 250,000 years behind us - give or take a few millenia). Put simply as long as they feel no pain I'm not going to lose any sleep over the shooting of a creature that has the self-awareness of a sardine. You also seem to forget that foxes KILL other animals as well. Its called nature!!!!
For the record I'm on a train to London at 6.30am on the mornings my rubbish is collected which leaves the foxes plenty of time to get at my binbags.
And to answer your question, no I dont think we should shoot thugs and vandals. Strange thing to ask on the subject of fox-hunting.”
by Suecat2, Leicester
Thursday, December 30 2010, 12:17PM
“So John Bull thinks we should shoot foxes humanely then - would he have the same views about thugs and vandals that do more damage on our streets? Like another reader sensibly suggested, why not make the effort to put out bins in the morning - Simples!
As for David of Great Eastern's comments, they are not even worth a response.”
by Peter, Wigston
Wednesday, December 29 2010, 11:52PM
“Quote: " Half the time the binmen wont take my rubbish away because the foxes have scattered it around the street."
Perhaps you should put out your rubbish sacks in the morning then, and not leave them lying around all night long to encourage cats, dogs, rats and foxes to rip up.
I have no respect for anyone who enjoys ripping apart defenceless creatures merely for their own sadistic pleasure.”
by Robert, LEICESTERSHIRE
Wednesday, December 29 2010, 6:57AM
“The times I have seen hunts is when I have been working and the hunt supporters have blocked the roads with there 4x4's just dumped anywhere.
They do not care where they park and how there parking is delaying others or whos land they are parking on. Plus the damage to the land.
The fox hunting wallys will not be getting my vote.”
by John Bull, Leicester
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 8:44PM
“Actually rats have never been a problem which is surprising because we have a stream at the end of the garden. In fact I have never even seen one in Oadby. Squirrels on the other hand have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the roof over the years.”
by hm, Leicester
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 8:28PM
“Do you get more rats around in the county too if you have bin bags instead of wheelie bins? I know there are a lot in the city centre and around take aways, but apart from that i rarely see them?”
by John Bull, Leicester
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 8:25PM
“@ hmmm.. Good point, I live just outside the city boundary in Oadby and we don't have wheelie bins. This no doubt explains my problem.”
by John Bull, Leicester
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 8:23PM
“'I do not carry any particular torch for the fox hunting fraternity, but find it bemusing in the extreme that they get unrelenting venom and abuse, yet nothing is ever said about the ritual barbaric slaughter of millions of animals daily for so-called halal meat. Why is this? David, Enderby'
It has more to do with snobbery and left/right politics than principled beliefs. The urban working-middle class have comtempt for the rural upper-middle class in the same way they do for 'proper' working class folk. There is a large crossover in membership between the League Against Cruel Sports and Unite Against Facism. The irony smacks you in the face.”
by hmm, Leicester
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 8:18PM
“Well to be honest in the city we all have wheelie bins, they should supply them for places in the county too. A fox is a scavenger that is all and if you present the opportunity it will take one. Personally i have never had any problems with foxes at all.”
by John Bull, Leicester
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 8:13PM
“'Anyone who supports fox hunting should be hunted by a mob and ripped apart by hounds themselves. I would just laugh'. Leicester fox, Leicester town
In that case you are worse than the d***s that enjoy ripping foxes apart.
But seriously, there is a large and growing problem with foxes in suburban areas that needs to be addressed. Half the time the binmen wont take my rubbish away because the foxes have scattered it around the street. There will be no vote on the issue during this parliament, partly because there would be a public backlash when we have more important issues facing the country and partly because the Tories would be unlikely to win with the Lib Dems & Labour voting against (which itself would likely collapse the government).
Why cant we just shoot them humanely? Problem solved”