Festive hunt attracts hundreds to Westwood, despite icy conditions (VIDEO)
Not even a blizzard could stop hundreds of hunt supporters heading out onto Beverley Westwood.
Resplendent huntsmen and their excited hounds were joined by a huge crowd for the annual Boxing Day tradition.
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TALLY HO: Professional huntsman David Elliott, centre, leads the hunt and the hounds during the Holderness Hunt on Beverley Westwood. Pictures: Peter Harbour
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Junior hunt member Georgina Elliott, seven, riding Shadow during the Holderness Hunt Boxing Day Hunt on Beverley Westwood. Picture: Peter Harbour.
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Junior hunt member Will Marshall, 12, with the hounds during the Holderness Hunt Boxing Day Hunt on Beverley Westwood. Picture: Peter Harbour.
Surveying the crowd from the back of his mount, joint master of Holderness Hunt William Bethell was delighted that the age-old gathering was as popular as ever.
He said: "We're stymied by the weather, that's all. It's not safe to go riding across country."
With Boxing Day falling on Sunday, the gathering was delayed until yesterday.
Icy conditions meant there was little chance of horses being allowed to ride out properly, even just following a legally-permitted trail.
But the purpose behind yesterday's gathering, and the reason so many braved the cold, was to send a firm message that hunting is not dead.
Since 2005 the sport of hunting foxes with hounds has not been permitted.
But there was no sign yesterday that the hunting fraternity has given up the fight.
Mr Bethell said: "The Holderness Hunt has got more members on foot now than it's even had before.
"The new government will overturn the ban, I'm sure, but they've got other more important things to deal with first.
"The support today is wonderful. And I'm sure if it had been on the traditional Boxing Day we would have had many more people here than we had."
Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said: "I haven't missed a year at the Boxing Day hunt since I was first elected. I've always said I would vote to reverse the ban."
In an impassioned address, he told the crowd: "Let's look forward to the year when we come here and the ban has been reversed once and for all."
Less well-known supporters were quick to spell out why they feel the pastime should be allowed to continue.
Brett Waterhouse, 21, from Trinity Lane, Beverley, said: "I'm all for it, it's a British tradition. They should never have banned it.
"I've been coming a few years. It's a great thing and it's about time they brought hunting back altogether."
Mr Waterhouse has introduced his girlfriend, Charlotte Boyce, 20, to the tradition.
She admits to enjoying the pageantry more than she would seeing foxes hunted down by hounds.
That perspective is seized on by the League Against Cruel Sports.
Its deputy head of campaigns and communications, Louise Robertson, said: "They always say Boxing Day hunts are attracting more and more supporters. Why is there such an argument in favour of a repeal of the ban when so many people are going who might otherwise have been put off by the cruelty?
"We don't protest at hunts, we monitor them in case we see any behaviour that is against the law, then we inform the police.
"There's a lot of animosity between the two groups and we don't want to get into conflict.
"The Hunting Act is in place and that battle has been won. If they're hunting within the law and following a scent or a trail then we've got no problem."
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by ER Fan, East Riding
Thursday, December 30 2010, 12:46AM
“HDM - 'With Boxing Day falling on Sunday" - impossible. Check your dictionary - Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas so it can never fall on a Sunday. Dec 26th this year was merely St. Stephen's Day.”
by tony, hull
Thursday, December 30 2010, 12:41AM
“Helen could you sent me some leaflets on the cruel killing of pests, such as mice, rats and even flies! I assume your mandate is that ALL animals have the right to live and not be killed in a cruel way - such as a mouse trap or fly swot??”
by tony, hull
Thursday, December 30 2010, 12:38AM
“Billy, Hull: Are you off your head??
Have you ever seen an animal slaughtered in an abatoir? Its horrendous and I for one am glad I dont have to witness scenes like that very often!
Im guessing you eat meat, as I do? In which case that makes you apart of that whole process as it does me! We have to accept there are parts of nature that are barbaric and we as Humans play apart!
Im neither here nor there on hunting, be it foxes, pheasants or the like! I have cats and hate seeing them toy with Mice before they kill them BUT thats nature! Hunting is apart of what we all stem from and for 'Townies' from DAWN SAAAUUTHHH to go for the populist vote and ban it was wrong!
Funny that the caring Labour Party were all for culling the innocent Badger population dont you think? Not heard you ever comment on that!!!!!”
by Helen, East Yorkshire
Wednesday, December 29 2010, 4:53PM
“It is cruel, it is not about tradition, it is about money and the Hunters want this money making business back.
Sign the petition to 'Keep the Ban' http://www.backtheban.com
League Against Cruel Sports, believe it is wrong that wild animals are subjected to terror and pain for the sake of 'sport' and 75% of the British public do not wish to see a return to this cruel pastime.
Fox Hunting. During a foxhunt a hunted fox will naturally run to the nearest holes familiar to it, however they are likely to be blocked with materials such as sacks of rubble the night before the hunt. The fox is therefore forced to run as far and as fast as it can. However, as the fox is a predator and has not evolved for long, sustained chases, it can't compete with the superior stamina of the slower-running but persistent hounds. If a fox manages to find refuge in an open hole, the huntsman calls for the 'terriermen' to enter their dogs into the hole in an attempt to either drive it out for further hunting, or to keep it under attack until it can be dug out.
Hunting enthusiasts claim that the first hound to reach the fox gives it a 'nip to the back of the neck' to kill it instantly. However, dogs which hunt in packs tend to bring down their prey by a series of bites and tears to the quarry's sides and hind quarters. This claim of a humane, quick death also ignores the suffering brought about by the deliberately prolonged chase.
When the fox is dead, most hunts cut off the tail ('brush'), the feet ('pads') and the head ('mask') as trophies. The carcass is then thrown to the hounds. Some hunts also indulge in the practice of 'blooding' - the smearing of fresh fox blood on the faces of those, usually children, who have witnessed their first kill.
Fox hunting also takes place below ground, and is called 'terrier work' or 'fox baiting'. Most hunts have terriermen who send small dogs down holes in pursuit of foxes which seek refuge underground from the hunt. The terrified foxes often end up in a battle with the terriers, while the terriermen listen to the animals' growls and dig the foxes out. Once dragged above ground, foxes may be shot, clubbed to death by the terriermens' shovels, or thrown to the hunts' hounds.
http://www.league.org.uk/content.ASpx?CategoryID=323”
by Ranter, Hull.
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 7:16PM
“Tradition? Nah. Its a load of eccentric unbalanced individuals who gain powerfull sexual gratification from seeing animals suffer, thats all.”
by Terry, Hull
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 7:11PM
“Really is this a story... or just a argue point story?”
by Kit, Beverley
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 5:29PM
“Looked great, what the hell is your problem if they're not killing foxes?
Townies.”
by porggrgh34, Hull
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 5:27PM
“Its appalling that in this day and age we still allow some people to kill our wildlife for fun. Shame on you all.”
by mick, ings
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 2:50PM
“most of these hunters are inbreds any way.who have animal fixations whether for so called sports and extra activities they dont get off their other halves.riding animals in more ways than one”
by Sam, Hull
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 2:41PM
“Ten out of ten for the people who complain about the ban being a waste of parliamentary time while calling for parliamentary time to be used to repeal the ban.
What will be interesting is to see exactly how many MPs are willing to vote to legalise animal cruelty which it self evidently is.”