Hunts gear up for Boxing Day

Britain’s 300 hunts are gearing up for record crowds when they gather for the hunting calendar’s main event, Boxing Day, says the Countryside Alliance.

With hunting with dogs under scrutiny from the Government’s Hunting Bill, the hunting associations are expecting a larger than average turn out of supporters in England, Wales and Scotland showing solidarity for what has now become a debate about liberty and tolerance.

In a message to hunt supporters, Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Richard Burge said: “No effort or resource will be spared to ensure that your personal freedoms and decision to hunt or not to hunt are upheld.

“Because hunting takes place by goodwill, and with the support of many, many thousands of people, it will not be made a criminal offence.”

Carol Phillips

H&H website editor

Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.