MENDIP FARMERS
Richard Standing, joint-master: “We are most definitely meeting on 19 February. We’ve obtained permission to meet just outside the city of Wells, and are taking the horses and hounds down the high street. After that, we’re going to hunt within the law.
We’ll continue until mid-March. We’ll experiment with everything we can — trailhunting, using two hounds to flush to a gun. The vast majority of our farmers can’t see why we won’t go out and directly defy the law, but they see that hunts have to stick together. We’ve written a letter to them all, and will hold an open meeting next week for any farmer with questions. We haven’t hired a very big room.”
MIDDLETON
The Hon Michael Willoughby, chairman: “We haven’t finalised plans and are waiting for the court case. But if the worst comes, we plan to run two rides per week from 18 February until the end of March. They are pure hound exercise, but if plans change and we can hunt, we will. Our meet card lasts until the ban, and we’ll put out a mini card after that. The masters are making new agreements with landowners — it’s meant a lot of extra administration. We’re not changing the name, nor the composition of the hunt. It’ll stay the same, at least until 1 May.”
MEYNELL & SOUTH STAFFS
The Hon Johnny Greenall, senior master: “On 19 February, we have a big meet at Darley Moor Aerodrome, and will go on a country ride, following a trail. We’ll do trails and hound exercise for another six days, then we’ll speak to farmers properly during the summer. We’ll have verbal agreements with farmers for those six days, but with time constraints, we haven’t got it all watertight. So far, landowners have all been very positive. We won’t make changes to the number of staff, but will probably reduce hound numbers, through old age, and we won’t breed this year.”
MONMOUTHSHIRE
Ben Herbert, chairman: “We’ll continue, within the law, to provide a fallen stock and fox control service to our farmers. On 19 February, we’ll either do hound exercise or simulated hunting. We’re in the process of practising. The season ends at the beginning of March, so we have two meets planned after 19 February — which are on the meet card — and we’ll play it by ear. We’d love to give the government the two-fingered salute, but we can’t, so we intend to be legal. We’re making new agreements with landowners, as well as finalising our new constitution.
“We’ll keep staff going for next season to see how it pans out. We’ve written to our subscribers to see what they’d be prepared to pay. The majority of those who’ve replied have indicated that they’re happy to match what they paid this season. We’ll breed some hounds, but not as many as last year.”
MORPETH
Ian Craigs, chairman: “We’d originally thought we’d do hound exercise after 19 February, but our season in the lowland doesn’t go on beyond the end of February. When it gets near to lambing, we go to the hills and continue until 15/16 March, hunting twice or thrice weekly. But the hills are Forestry Commission or National Trust, both of which have revoked our licence. Hounds are going so well that we’re frightened they’ll go on to a fox or disturb sheep.
“On 19 February, we’re meeting at Meldon Park, Morpeth. Before that, we’re going to flush some coverts, and after the meet we’re just going to draw them to make our presence felt — we might do that after 19 February and do hound exercise.
“All our other farmers and landowners have been very supportive. I don’t think we’ll do trailhunting this season but we’ll bear it in mind for next. We’re to whelp less hounds — about two to three litters instead of seven to eight. Staff will stay on regardless, but the terrierman might get some summer work.”
NANTCOL VALLEY
Alan Owen, master, huntsman and hon sec: “On 19 February we’re meeting at Dolwyddelan and going on hound exercise. We usually finish on 20 March and hope to continue until then. We’re meeting the local police on 15 February to talk through our plans for 19 Feb — we’ve had a good relationship with them until now. We do have a bit of Forestry Commission land, but haven’t set up new agreements with our farmers yet. We’ll just get permission from farmers two days before we meet. We don’t have any staff — it’s a private pack — and I’ll still be breeding hounds.”
NEW FOREST
Barbara Mills, exec com: “We’re going to do hound exercise until the end of the season on 22 March. We’ll continue twice a week: the current meet card runs out on 17 February. We’re having a mass meet on 19 February at Burley — it’s high profile, with lots of tourists — and we’ll ride through the village. We’ll probably experiment with trailhunting, but we certainly intend to carry on next season.
“We’ve changed the constitution of the hunt as recommended by the MFHA. Our kennelman is leaving anyway, so we won’t replace him, but all other staff will stay on. Our hound-breeding programme will continue, but it will be limited — we’ve got some very old bloodlines.
“Our licence to hunt on the Forest will be taken away, but the masters have had informal meetings with the deputy surveyor, who seems quite happy for us to continue to exercise hounds but we’ll be subject to the by-laws like everyone else.”
WEST NORFOLK
Roger Lyles, senior master:“We’ve sent out a statement from our EGM last week and told everyone what we’re doing. We’ll hunt the three days before the ban, then on 19 February we’re meeting at East Lexham Hall and will do a line hunt.
“We’ve developed a short-term alternative to foxhunting. We don’t intend to break the law and have said that farmers and landowners must not risk prosecution. Meets will be once a week — mostly Saturdays — and we’ll be hunting a line with breaks and turns for hounds. We’re arranging meets until mid-March.
“We’ve made agreements with landowners, who’ve been very supportive. Line hunting is going to take a lot more organisation than a day’s hunting. We’ve already done it — it went all right except that we couldn’t keep up with hounds. We’ll need three or four breaks.
“In terms of staff, at the moment we’re aiming to stay complete until next autumn — and we’re persuading everyone to vote Tory.”
OAKLEY
Rupert Weston, chairman: “We’re meeting at Melchbourne Park on Saturday and will be doing legalised hunting, keeping to the MFHA guidelines. We’ve been waiting for ‘the day’ before speaking to landowners. We hope to keep the kennels together — we’re very optimistic that this is only temporary and that the ban will be repealed.”
OLD SURREY BURSTOW & WEST KENT
Graeme Worsley MFH: “On 19 February, depending on the outcome in court, if we’re not foxhunting we’ll lay some sort of scent. What we do will be within the law. We’re going to stand up at the meet with a fox that has been shot in order to lay a line and say that it took three bullets to kill it — we didn’t want to do it but that’s what the government wants us to do.
“We’ve laid a line twice — and hounds ran. Draghunting isn’t an option — we have too many elderly and young followers and people who don’t come out just to jump. All our farmers have been sent letters. We intend to go out as usual, on the usual days, until the end of the season. We have to. We won’t breed as many hounds as we might, but if you miss a year out you can bugger a pack’s future. There are no planned changes to staff but we’ll play it by ear.”
PEMBROKESHIRE
Margaret Johns, joint-master: “We’re holding a very big meet on 19 February, when we’ll be exercising hounds. We also plan to try some trail riding at a later meet. However, we’ll be acting within the law at all times.”
SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE
Hugh Harrison-Allen, joint-master: “We’re continuing as normal until 19 March. On 19 February we’re having a huge meet at Cresselly in Kilgetty and will be laying a trail, which will be most depressing. We won’t put any hounds down this season, but may have to cull a few next year.”
PENNINE
Mark Davies, joint-master: “The Pennine is going to carry on legally using two hounds. We’re also discussing the possibility of using falcons or a hawk next season. On 19 February, we’re holding a joint-meet with the Holme Valley and Cumberland Beagle packs. We’re a footpack and will remain the same.”
PERCY
Lady Victoria Fellowes, joint-master: “The Percy is to hold a show meet below Alnwick Castle this Saturday. There will be a piper and a fiddler and the hunt will process past the castle, led by the piper. We’ll be going through part of the town of Alnwick, but the police won’t allow us into the town centre. Hounds will return to kennels, while followers will ride through the park of the castle. There will be no attempt to hunt.
“For the rest of this season we intend to run hound exercise once or twice a week. We also plan to take a couple of hounds out and flush out foxes. This may be a regular thing or a call-out service. As to next season, we have plans for hound trailing, together with flushing out.”
PYTCHLEY
James Mackaness, chairman: “The hunt is holding a shindig at Guilsborough, the home of the Lowthers, on 19 February. We’re going to practise line hunting and will stay within the law. We’re also looking into other avenues. We aim to use the summer to perfect what we are to do, even if it gets down to practising with a couple of hounds. The Pytchley will continue to run at full strength because Mathew Puffer is joining us from the Cheshire Forest next season. He’s succeeding Peter Jones, who retires on 1 May after 34 years’ service with the hunt, the longest-serving huntsman in our history.”
WEST PERCY
Bob Gray, chairman: “We stop hunting on 18 February. We’re having a mass meet on the 19th but won’t be hunting. We’ll then contact all our farmers to see whether we can go over their land hound exercising. As we only employ a huntsman and his partner, we won’t be laying off staff.”
PORTMAN
Andrew Cook, joint-master and huntsman: “We will carry out various activities for the remainder of our season — we’ve amended our meet card. We originally planned to finish on 1 April, but we’ll finish earlier than that now.”
PUCKERIDGE
Diana Pyper, joint-master: “We’ll be mock hunting and are to publish a new meet card shortly. We’re meeting on the 19th at Wicken Hall in Bishop’s Stortford and are hopeful of a large turnout. We’re keeping all our hunt staff until the end of May 2006.”
