Hunts unveil post-ban plans

Click here for details of meets taking place on Saturday 19 February. ABER VALLEY Ifor Wynn Evans, chairman and secretary: “We’re meeting on 19 February. I’m going to carry on as legally as I can — probably with two hounds. The main thing is that people don’t get rid of their hounds. “My biggest landowner is the Forestry Commission, but there are sufficient small areas in which I can do what the ferret people used to do. We have some areas that I have yet to seek permission for from the Countryside Council of Wales. “The season finishes at the end of March, but I doubt we’ll be continuing until then. But mark my words: in two years there will be a major problem with the fox population.” ALBRIGHTON Mr Webster, chairman: “We will hunt within the law from 19 February, with the same number of days per week until our normal season’s end, at the end of March, by which time we hope we’ll have learned something about how it will work. We’ve had great co-operation from landowners — one large estate we have not been allowed on for 15 years has invited us to hunt there this week and has been very supportive.” ALBRIGHTON WOODLAND Richard Follis, chairman:“We’ve just been to a meeting of local hunts with the MFHA. Next season, we’re going to provide at least weekly equestrian activities through legal forms of hunting — it’s the remainder of this season that’s up in the air, but we’ll decide in the next 10 days. We normally go until mid-March. “On the 19th, we’ll have a meet followed by some legal activity. It will look to the world as if we’re going hunting and, next season, people are still going to see red coats. Landowners here are very supportive — those we’ve spoken to are keen that the hunt stays together. We have a small patch of forestry and a significant amount of National Trust land, and we’re hoping we can enter into a new agreement next season. “We’re going to have to cut down on hunt staff for the start of next season. It’s very regrettable, but we can’t continue an establishment of the same size, so we’re going to lose our kennel- huntsman and kennel groom. It will initially be run by the master/huntsman, and we’ll see how it develops.” ASHFORD VALLEY Richard Middleton, chairman: “Our intention is to go trail hunting. Our season usually finishes in the second week in March, and we intend to continue meeting twice a week, although not on a Saturday. We won’t be publishing a meet card because we want to keep things low-profile and subscribers can come by invitation. “We’ve contacted sufficient landowners for some experimental days. By and large, they’ve been supportive. There will be no change whatsoever to our staff or hound breeding programme.” ATHERSTONE Anne Bodycote, chairman: “We shall carry on after 19 February with hound exercise, two days a week, until the end of the season on 19 March. Then it’s a case of ‘suck it and see’.” AVON VALE Major Jonathon Seed, joint-master: “We’re meeting at Monks Park on 19 February. The Avon Vale will continue as normal until the end of the season. We’ve left a few bye days on in case the law is revoked. We may have to consider a redundancy among the hunt staff and cut back on the hunt horses and the hounds, but we’re quite determined that we will have a future for our children to hunt in.” AXE VALE Elizabeth Tancock, acting master: “Our plans are still under discussion and at the committee stage.” BADSWORTH & BRAMHAM MOOR Charlie Warde-Aldam, chairman: “Assuming the appeal doesn’t work, we plan to reduce to two days a week [from three]. We’ll keep all the hounds and our professional hunt staff, and hunt a drag. Only the person who has laid it will know where it goes. “We’ll do that until it is apparent that hounds have switched to the wrong quarry, at which point we’ll stop them. Our huntsman will be instructed to hunt hounds within the law. “But a lot will depend on the landowners and how they view the risk — that’s probably our weakest link. Our country includes arable land and some farmers may say ‘no thanks’. As far as my own land is concerned, I may ask the huntsman to operate pest control [with two hounds].” BANWEN MINERS Catherine Stewart, chairman: “We haven’t decided yet where to meet on 19 February — we can’t meet at our Boxing Day venue because we’ve been told it can’t be policed. But we’re aware that the MFHA wants a big show and we will meet, and go on hound exercise or a ride afterwards. But we won’t be hunting foxes. “We have a fair bit of Forestry Commission land. We usually end our season at the beginning of March, so this is going to shorten it by two weeks. We’ll keep our huntsman and hounds in place and see what happens.” BARLOW Steven Clark, joint-master: “We shall be meeting at Chatsworth, home of the Duke of Devonshire, on 19 February. We intend to take hounds out on exercise on Tuesdays and Saturdays until the end of the season, for their benefit. There will be no slimming down of hounds or staff for next season because we have a duty to look after both, and we’ll keep going [with some form of legal hunting] as long as it’s financially practical.” DUKE OF BEAUFORT’S Jo Aldridge, PR: “We’re going to hunt legally. We’re writing to landowners — they’ve always been very supportive to us in the past and wouldn’t change. In terms of hunt staff and hounds, it’s going to be business as usual.” BLEAN BEAGLES Richard Middleton, whipper-in: “We’re meeting at a pub within our country on 19 February, and inviting landowners. We’re going to continue within the law on the 19th and beyond — the season ends late March and we’ll be going right through. We want to keep a low profile.” BEDALE Mary Tweddle, joint-master: “We haven’t made any firm decision as to how exactly we’ll proceed — a lot depends on the hearing — but we’re not rolling over. We’ll keep hounds and staff and will be trying one of the [legal] options for hunting. I just hope everyone sings from the same hymn sheet; I think it’s important that we’re all doing the same thing next season. We’ve got to keep going for the future, when there may be a change of law.” BELVOIR Richard Morley, joint-master: “It’s looking tough, and there’s a lot to learn, but our plan for the rest of this season is to have hunt rides. We shall take hounds to meets, but will probably continue just on horseback and review the situation at the end of the season. I don’t think you can expect a hound, which has been bred to hunt a fox, to switch to a trail in the space of two weeks. “But next season we’re looking to go forward with whatever is the fairest [legal] system on hounds and taking into account what our farmers want. We have considerable support because our farmers are generally very angry about the ban. What we feel, though, is that we now need some determined leadership from the Countryside Alliance.” BERKELEY Henry Berkeley, MFH: “On the 19th, we’re meeting near Berkeley Castle and going on a glorified hound ride for a few hours. We’ll carry out similar activities until the end of March. As for hound breeding, it hasn’t been decided. Next season we’ll be going trailhunting.” OLD BERKS Jo Whittingdon, senior master: “We’re meeting at kennels on 19 February and have encouraged and publicised this, so that as many people come along as possible — be it on a horse, donkey, bike or whatever and however dressed. “We’ll be staying within the law. We finish the beginning of March anyway, so we’re going out for a few days to do trailhunting, hound exercise, fox control and maybe a hunt ride. “We’ve had a brilliant response from our farmers, and will form new agreements with landowners this summer. There will be no change to the infrastructure of the hunt for the next season and we’ll breed one or two litters.” BEWCASTLE Cliff Bland, chairman: “We’re meeting as usual on the 19th, for a hunt breakfast, bring and buy sale (with proceeds going to the CA) and hound exercise. We’ll finish at the end of March as usual but won’t be breaking the law. We’ve got a fair bit of MoD and FC land, but we’re a farmers’ pack — every one of us who hunts is a farmer — so there shouldn’t be a problem [with access to land]. Nothing will change within the hunt in terms of hound breeding and staff.” BICESTER WITH WHADDON CHASE Robert Vallance, hon sec: “We’ll hunt legally for the rest of the season — and we’ve given our landowners that assurance — two days a week until 12 March. We plan to form a ‘hound club’ for activities within the law, and we’ll continue to offer a legal fox control service. We’ll find a way forward for entering young hounds in the autumn, through the fox control service, because our hunt constitution states that it is vital to be able to revert to foxhunting if the Act is overturned. “Our objectives are to preserve the Bicester with Whaddon Chase pack and bloodlines, to create an attractive pastime for our supporters, to continue to campaign for the repeal of the ban, and maintain a true knowledge of venery in the countryside.” BILSDALE Mike Akaster, acting chairman: “After our meet on the 19th, we’re going to ride around. We’ve been dabbling with trails. We normally finish in the first week of April, and are going to meet for a gallop as we always do on 2 April, our last day. We plan to keep meeting twice a week as usual. “We’re working on new contracts with our landowners, who are supportive on the whole, but time will tell. About 25% of our country is owned by the Forestry Commission and we can’t go on that any more. We have one member of staff, our huntsman and master, and he plans to produce hounds as usual.” BLACKMORE & SPARKFORD VALE Mike Felton, joint-master: “We’re hunting on 19, 22 and 26 February, which concludes our normal season. We’ve geared ourselves up to change to an artificial line; we’ve carried out trials and have a pretty fair idea of what we’re doing. I suspect we’ll use 10-and-a-half to 12-and-a-half couple as opposed to 14-and-a-half to 15-and-a-half. We don’t have a new name for our lawful activity: we’re saying we’re going hunting and will leave it at that. “We’re setting out to recreate a day’s hunting. We may not find the artificial line for an hour or so, or we may find it quickly. Then it may only go for 5min, or it may last 20min. “The whole show will remain on the road. We’ve changed our constitution and are sending letters to the relevant farmers. We have some National Trust land and I’m talking to the trust about what we have in mind.” BLANKNEY Ruth Parker, chairman: “We’re in the process of forming plans and have an EGM this week, but we will definitely be out on 19 February in some form.” BLENCATHRA Dorothy Savage, secretary: “We’re having a meet where the kennels were originally situated, at Riddings, and then going back to the kennels. Our season normally finishes at the end of March but we’re not meeting again because most of our hunting territory is National Trust and Forestry Commission land. We’re keeping the hunt infrastructure intact for as long as we can and wait to see what happens.” BORDER George Morrison, hon sec: “We’ll continue with the same number of meets until the end of the season, but there will be hound exercise on this side of the Border and hunting on the Scottish side as per Scottish law. “We’re lucky that we have a lot of land we can cover. Our landowners this side know we’ll be unable to hunt their land as we did, and we’re looking for permission for hound exercise. We plan to see out the end of this season, then work out what to do next. “On 19 February we’re meeting at a local public house for exercise after a hunt breakfast. We’re expecting a big turnout and have had a lot of interest, even from people who don’t hunt.” BRAES OF DERWENT Alan Chapman, master and chairman: “It’s our plan to continue to meet. Whether we’ll go right through to our end of season in the middle of March I’m not sure yet, but we envisage continuing, within the law, for two or three weeks after 18 February. “Our Boxing Day meet is in a town centre, which would be too busy on a Saturday morning, so we’re hoping to meet nearby on 19 February and hack through town, keeping disruption to a minimum but maintaining the effect. “We’re hoping for our landowners’ support. We have a bit of Woodland Trust country, but our mounted field doesn’t go there anyway, so losing that wouldn’t make much difference. “We had new staff this year — young lads going in the right direction — but because of the uncertainty over what our income will be, we can’t guarantee the kennel-huntsman a position next year. It’s especially unfortunate because our huntsman broke his leg during autumn hunting, so the kennel-huntsman has been hunting hounds and going well. But we have to batten down the hatches, possibly for a number of years, and minimise expenditure.” BRECON & TALYBONT David Gwynne, chairman: “We’ll go on hound exercise on 19 February and keep going until the end of the season, possibly only one day a week, though. We plan to keep hounds going indefinitely, but, of course, it will depend on finances. We’ve still got all the hunt functions planned and will make every effort to keep it together.” BURTON John Lockwood, joint-master: “We have re-engaged our hunt staff for next season and will hunt within the legal framework, which will include activities to keep subscribers interested and a pest control service with flushing with two hounds to help farmers. Our biggest difficulty may be the fact that we have a lot of Forestry Commission land.” CAERPHILLY & DISTRICT Lyndon Ward, committee member: “The hunt is holding a meeting on 19 February at the White Cross, Groes Wen. We’ve slightly amended the remainder of the fixture list, but will take part in a mixture of draghunting and hound exercise. During the summer we’ll reschedule the hunt, setting out our objectives for next season but going on as normal.” CAMBRIDGESHIRE WITH ENFIELD CHACE Penny Rogers, chairman: “For the rest of this season we’ll carry on for two or three days a week with hound exercise, to keep hounds active, and hunt rides, which is what we did to keep going during foot-and-mouth. “Next season, we plan to be more structured, with some hound trailing, possibly with quad bikes. We shall continue to provide a pest control service, with two hounds, as we are keen hounds don’t lose the knack of hunting foxes. We intend to keep ticking over until we can get back to real hunting, but, of course, the costs of running a pack of hounds don’t get any cheaper. “As long as our landowners know that we’re not intending to break the law, they’re happy for us to continue. Even before the CA’s guidelines, we had concluded that we must stay within the law. We have agreed to pay our huntsman’s costs if for some reason he is prosecuted, but we don’t expect that to happen.” CARMARTHENSHIRE Mark Davies, chairman: “We haven’t reached a final conclusion about what we’ll be doing, and there have been some recent changes of personnel. I worry about how it will all work because hounds are bred to hunt foxes, but I think the important thing is that all hunts try to carry on and, if possible, do the same things.” CATTISTOCK Peter Southcombe, chairman: “We shall meet on 19 February, mustering as many red coats and top hats as we can, and I think there will be a huge turnout. Thereafter, I imagine that we won’t dress up for trail hunting. “We’ve been experimenting with trails and it’s not as easy as it sounds. It may take a bit of cracking, but I’m sure our huntsman, Charlie Watts, is working on it. We’re planning a few hound trials, with a couple of hounds, to give the foot followers something to watch, as they come out to see hounds work and we must look after them. “We had a meeting, along with other packs, with the assistant chief constable of Dorset and told him that we would hunt within the law. He has advised us that if we do kill a fox by accident, we should tell him. I think we’ll get lots of support, but I do think the time has come to tell the antis that we’re going to have zero tolerance of them.” CHESHIRE Caroline Paton-Smith, former chairman (and acting in the absence of new chairman Lady Barlow): “We are going to continue to hunt within the law and we will complete a full meet card this season. We will be going out to do vermin control and trailing. At the moment we are continuing with our quota of hunt staff, and with some sort of hound breeding programme. All landowners have been assured that we will not be utilising their land other than in a legal context — we are in the process of drawing up new agreements.” CHESHIRE FOREST Richard de Prez, joint-master: “We’ll meet on the 19th and go on hound exercise, calling in, by invitation, at a pub and to see two farmers who are keen to show their solidarity. Most of our farmers are very supportive. “We’ve appointed a new huntsman for the 2005-06 season, which shows we will continue, and we’ll explore every legal avenue, such as hunt rides and flushing out foxes. But I don’t anticipate, at this stage, that we will ever call ourselves a draghunt.” CHIDDINGFOLD, LECONFIELD & COWDRAY Ricky Bennett, joint-master: “We’re meeting at Uppark on 19 February, which is thought to be where the first dedicated Foxhound pack began in England, founded by Lord Gray in 1660. We expect 1,000 supporters. The feeling is that it’s a sad day, and for us to go out afterwards isn’t right, so we may not move off to do anything. “After that we’re planning to keep going, doing hound exercise or a combination of legal activities, until mid-March. We have plenty of support from farmers.” CLEVELAND John Thomson, acting master: “We have a regional meeting coming up and are waiting for some guidance. We intend to meet on 19 February, and keep hounds going, but it’s our landowners’ position that concerns us and we are anxious not to do anything to cause them trouble. They’ve all been very supportive and we’ve met gamekeepers to discuss fox control. We’ve also had a constructive visit from the Cleveland police. They’ve told us there will be an officer at all meets in their area.” CLIFTON ON TEME Francis Lowden, chairman: “Our local police have asked our master, Richard Hill, for our plans and he’s told them that we plan to continue to keep hounds and hunt within the law. We still have to formulate exactly what we will do, but we’d like some sort of directive. One of our biggest concerns is maintaining our insurance cover.” COLLEGE VALLEY & NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND Hon Katie Crosbie-Dawson MFH: “We’re in the unusual position of having Scotland in our country — quite a significant proportion — so we’ll continue to hunt over the Border within Scottish law and within English law on this side. We have yet to finalise plans for the latter, but we’re keeping hounds and staff and carrying on.” CONISTON Doreen Westmorland, joint-master: “Being a fell pack, we have a major role to play in fox control and that’s what we intend to provide as best we can under the new law. We’ll definitely continue to keep the hounds and find a way of going on. We’re going to meet on 19 February at the Ship Inn at Coniston and have a coffee morning.” EAST CORNWALL Francis Martin, chairman: “We’ll carry on until the end of March, once a week rather than twice. It will be a mixture of hound exercise and trail hunting — but we’ll call it hound exercise. “We’ve been to see our landowners informally. A lot of them are moorland farmers and most are in the process of entering into Countryside Stewardship agreements. They’re concerned that if we went hunting illegally it would affect their payments, but we’ve assured them we’re going to stay within the law. “We have a master/huntsman who is also a local farmer, so he’ll continue, and he also plans to offer legal pest control for farmers, flushing foxes to guns. We have amateur whips.” NORTH CORNWALL Rose Watson, master’s wife: “We’re going to meet on 19 February and carry on, within the law. Fox control is a big issue here, with a lot of sheep farming, and because our farmers are very supportive we’re going to do our best to find a way of keeping our commitment to that. “The problem is that we’re very much a hunting country — there’s a lot of open moorland country and not much jumping. Our challenge will be to find a way to interest our followers, who are hunting people through and through. There’s also the worry about finance, but we are certainly going to carry on.” COTLEY Edward Eames, master: “We haven’t done experiments yet with hound trailing, but my brother [Vyvyan Eames, former master] has been to Germany to watch a drag pack. “We’re going to find a way of going on and will do some sort of trail hunting or hunt rides on Saturdays up until Easter. How it will work I don’t know. Our hounds are Harriers and they tend to get more wound up if they can’t hunt, which then causes problems in kennels.” COTSWOLD Biddy Brickell, joint-master: “We’ll be continuing after 18 February, although we’ll be going to two days from three. We’ve let our landowners know by letter that we’ll be hunting only within the law. This will mean a combination of hound exercise and trailing. On 19 February we’re holding a big meet at our kennels to go out for either hound exercise or trailing. None of our staff will change between now and the end of the season.” NORTH COTSWOLD Christopher Houghton, chairman: “We’re meeting at kennels on 19 February and we shall go for hound exercise. We normally end on 15 March, but we’ll carry on until 1 March — on the following Saturday and Monday after the 19 February. Again, we’ll go on hound exercise.” COTSWOLD VALE FARMERS Mike Smith, joint-master: “We’re building new kennels, which shows how confident we are that we’ll continue to keep hounds.We’ll be meeting on 19 February, and whatever we do afterwards will be within the law, but we have yet to finalise plans as to what that is. We’re still waiting for a directive really.” COTTESMORE Michael Clayton, spokesman: “We will join the Quorn and Belvoir on 19 February to parade through Melton Mowbray to thank the townspeople and country people, and especially the farmers and landowners of Rutland, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, for more than 250 years’ support for hunting. After the parade we’ll return to our hunt kennels for a meet and will spend the day in a hunting activity. “After 19 February the Cottesmore plans to meet three to four times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and an occasional Monday, as usual, ending the season normally on 14 March. “The hunt plans to engage in ‘hunting activities’ within the terms of the Hunting Act. We will co-operate with landowners in lawful fox control. The hunt does not plan to announce in advance what its activities will be each day, nor to provide public reports on its activities afterwards. “We’ve received friendly and constructive responses from farmers and landowners, to whom we are eternally grateful. Our hunt staff is expected to remain the same after 19 February, and we’re retaining our pack. “The Cottesmore plans to maintain the hunt as an entity, and will join fully in the campaign to amend or repeal the Hunting Act so that normal hunting can resume.” CRAWLEY AND HORSHAM Anthony Sandeman, joint-master: “We’re meeting near our Boxing Day meet on 19 February. Afterwards, we’re going to hunt within the law, but the less everyone following us knows the better. “After that we’re going to do two or three Saturdays — probably some sort of trail hunting to keep subscribers entertained and give them something to bring their horses back for next season. Plus we might do some hound exercise and fox control with two hounds to keep the hounds occupied. “We’ve sent letters to landowners to say we’ll be carrying out legal activities. A lot of hunt staff are worried, but we’re reassuring ours that we’re behind them — there will be no change for the foreseeable future. We won’t be breeding as many hounds.” CROOME & WEST WARWICKSHIRE Bill Jones, chairman: “We have a lot of meetings coming up this week and after that shall have a clearer picture of our exact plans. We’ll be meeting on 19 February at Croome Court, the place that gave its name to the hunt, and we certainly intend to carry on, within the law. We have supportive landowners and our main aim is to keep the infrastructure together.” CUMBERLAND Tim Brockbank, joint-master: “We’re meeting on 19 February for hound exercise at the hunt secretary’s property, and that will be our last day this season. We’d normally finish the following Saturday anyway and we didn’t think it was worth organising two extra days. We’ll leave speaking to landowners until later in the summer — we want to see how the political situation has developed before we try to plan for the future. We’ll be keeping on our one man and hounds as per normal for the summer, then we’ll review the situation.” CUMBERLAND FARMERS’ Mr Proud, chairman: “We shall be meeting on 19 February, as a demonstration of solidarity, and will be going on hound exercise afterwards. “After that, we’ll be doing what we usually do, which is hunt in Scotland for the rest of the season. We traditionally have invitation days there at that time because there are so many lambs about, and we also hunt in Scotland at the start of the season. It’s not practical all the time, as there isn’t enough country. “We’ll certainly keep hounds for another year, in order to keep the nucleus of a pack. We’re a big sheep farming country and we’ll be flushing out with two hounds to control the fox population. But, like everyone, our biggest headache will be insurance.” CURRE & LLANGIBBY Geoff Watson, chairman: “We’re going to continue taking hounds on exercise as often as we can, and we’ll see what we can do with scent trailing when we know more. “In the meantime, we’ll collect stock, continue social functions and some fox control by flushing out. We’re a small hunt with more than 300 farmers and we can only function if they let us use their land, so it’s up to us to help them. “We have two big concerns: the amount of forestry in our country and how long finances will continue to come in. I don’t think the next 12 months will be a problem, but after that I can see it might drop off. But the thing to do is to keep upbeat and do as much as we can.” CURY Lyn Anderson, joint-master: “We’ll meet on 19 February, possibly not with hounds, and will have a hunt breakfast and a fun ride. We’ve talked about trails, fun rides and hound exercise, but we’re very dependent on how the farmers view us. They’re the people most interested in real hunting and form a large proportion of our big car-following contingent; I worry there won’t be much for them to watch. “We usually hunt until the end of March and we’ll try to do that because we need to earn money to cover the guarantee and keep the kennels going. But we’re certainly not packing up.” Read more hunts' plans >>

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