Hunting season sets off today
HUNTS across the county called Tally Ho on the first day of the new hunting season.
And attendances were as strong as ever.
More than 200 riders took part in the Beaufort Hunt's opening meeting starting from Worcester Lodge on the Badminton estate.
Spokeswoman Jo Aldridge said: "We've got 220 on horseback and many, many people in cars, there must be a couple of thousand."
Jo said that enthusiasm for the sport had not abated despite the ban.
She added: "We set artificial fox scents for the hounds. People come out for a number of reasons, they like to jump fences, or others like to watch the hounds working.
"Many retired people like to meet up with their friend and follow in car or on foot."
She added that despite the numbers the hunt were still very keen to get the hunting ban repealed.
Secretary of the Berkeley Hunt, Tom Whittaker said the freezing weather had not deterred his members.
Speaking from the saddle, he said: "The colder the better, it means the trails we lay are easier to follow."
Tom added that there were 80 members riding with the hounds.
He added: "We've got lots of people, of all ages and plenty of youngsters. More people than ever want to join in the hunting."
2 Comments
by SARAH, cheltenham
Monday, November 03 2008, 1:07PM
“I thought the Country Alliance would have us believe that as soon as hunting was banned, horses and hunt dogs would have to be destroyed and thousands of hunts folk would be out of jobs!! not the case then!! i was made to hunt as a child, and hated every minute of it. It is an out-dated barbaric `sport` that has no place in modern society. and before the Country Alliance lot get on their `high horses` and call me a `towny` who knows nothing about it, my family have farmed in gloucestershire for over 100 years and all agree it no longer neccessary or needed.”
by Giles Bradshaw, Rose Ash
Sunday, November 02 2008, 11:19PM
“I use a non lethal means of reducing the damage that deer do to my woodland.
I regularly visit the woods with my pet dogs which flushes out the deer.
The Government have told me that this is now illegal unless I then shoot the flushed out deer.
I'm not going to stop flushing out the deer, deer naturally run from dogs.
I've never killed a deer.
Should I? Or is it better to let them live and break the law?”