Farriers take part in hunt meet
FARRIERS from across Devon and Cornwall gathered at a celebrated hunt which drew record crowds.
Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of the Farriers' Hunt held in and around Constantine, near Falmouth.
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The 10th anniversary meeting of the Farriers Hunt at Constantine
Supporters said the day went extremely well and the number of people attending showed the resistance to the hunting ban.
Ian Hampton, chairman of the Farriers Hunt supporters' club, said: "This is a day that gives farriers something back for all the hard work they do to keep us going. Without the farriers, we would not be able to operate."
Farriers from all over the Westcountry came to take part in Saturday's meet and were joined by other local riders and an estimated 200 people following the hunt on foot.
The day began with a solid cooked breakfast at Tucoys Farm before riders followed the previously laid trail around the magnificent countryside.
Mr Hampton said: "We had a very enjoyable day's trail hunting with a fantastic turnout."
The ban on fox hunting was introduced in February 2005 and has seen considerable opposition in the Westcountry.
Mr Hampton felt the hunt had attracted more supporters since the hunting ban was introduced.
He said: "If anything we have got bigger since the ban was brought in because people realise that another tradition is under threat.
"It's vitally important to keep the tradition alive until we get the law repealed."
4 Comments
by Sally, Barnstaple
Sunday, March 08 2009, 8:11PM
“Greater suffering?I quote the following from the League Against Cruel Sports which was observed to take place since hunting was banned. 'The reality is caught on film in horrifying detail. A fox is pursued by the (Hunt name deleted)Countryside. It seeks refuge in a small hole on the edge of a field. Twenty minutes later - and after a frantic dig out involving three men, spades and two terriers - the fox is dragged to the surface, held aloft and thrown to the waiting hounds.
After ten minutes of being savaged by the hounds - encouraged by watching huntsmen - almost nothing remains of the fox. In another scene foxes are shown having their tails sliced off. It later emerged that the tails were to be presented as a wedding present to one of the hunters'.
If they could suffer greater than that and this is a tradition that should be saved then God help us. Huntsmen are nothing but a bunch of barbarians.
Sally-Ann, Barnstaple, North”
by Nigel, Beds
Friday, February 27 2009, 8:14AM
“Having clearly lost the argument on cruelty and welfare after the Burns inquiry reported and showed a ban would only lead to an increase in foxes being killed by other methods which could cause greater suffering, which in turn destroyed the myth that foxes killed by hunts was only for fun or pleasure, you would expect reasonable minded Politian¿s to drop their calls for a ban. However the real reason for the ban were then admitted by a Labour Politian who went on record as saying ¿we should come clean the ban had very little to do with Cruelty or welfare but good old fashioned class warfare¿
Given that laws should have some benefit and should not be based on spite and prejudice I for one would like to see it repealed.”
by M Stoneman, Suffolk
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 3:11PM
“If the hunt has had more support since the ban....why do they want to repeal the act ?”
by Sally-Ann, Barnstaple, North Devon
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 12:40AM
“Tradition? I quote the following from the League Against Cruel Sports which was observed to take place since hunting was banned. 'The reality is caught on film in horrifying detail. A fox is pursued by the (Hunt name deleted)Countryside. It seeks refuge in a small hole on the edge of a field. Twenty minutes later - and after a frantic dig out involving three men, spades and two terriers - the fox is dragged to the surface, held aloft and thrown to the waiting hounds.
After ten minutes of being savaged by the hounds - encouraged by watching huntsmen - almost nothing remains of the fox. In another scene foxes are shown having their tails sliced off. It later emerged that the tails were to be presented as a wedding present to one of the hunters'.
If that is a tradition that should be saved then God help us. Huntsmen are nothing but a bunch of barbarians.”