Thousands of hunt supporters gathered across the country on Boxing Day in a powerful display of opposition to the Government's plan to ban trail hunting. The massive turnout came just days after ministers announced a consultation on outlawing the rural pastime, sparking accusations that Labour has 'alienated rural people'.
Countryside Communities Rally in Defence of Tradition
Boxing Day, one of the most celebrated dates in the hunting calendar, saw communities turn out in force to greet riders and hounds before they set off. Supporters estimate that tens of thousands of people attended about 200 hunt meets this year, with particularly large crowds reported in Matching Green in Essex, Ludlow in Shropshire, and Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.
One of the largest gatherings took place on the Duke of Beaufort's estate near Badminton, Gloucestershire, where thousands watched dozens of horses and fox hounds go trail hunting. The practice, introduced after the 2004 Hunting Act, involves a scent being sprayed onto a rag which is then dragged across the countryside for hounds to chase, replicating traditional methods without pursuing live animals.
'Under Assault and Siege': The Rural Backlash
Will Bryer, joint master of the Beaufort Hunt, claimed the countryside was 'under assault and siege'. He questioned whether the Government would have made its announcement had they predicted such a significant turnout. "It is somewhat ironic that the Government choose to announce their intentions to destroy trail hunting just at a time of year when we reaffirm our beliefs," Bryer said. "So, we're under assault, we're under siege and like all fights it's going to get messy."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who attended a hunt at Chiddingstone Castle in Kent, vowed to 'fight and stop this monstrous attack on our freedoms'. He called on the Government to change course and protect a tradition that has 'been going on for centuries'. Farage warned: "If they ban this, they may as well ban horseriding and dogwalking. Labour MPs in country seats will rebel."
Political Fallout and Polling Data
The backlash comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces a considerable task in rebuilding trust with rural communities. He had already damaged faith with proposed changes to inheritance tax on farms, before performing a partial U-turn this week. A poll commissioned by the Countryside Alliance suggests only 36 per cent of voters agree the Government cares about people in the countryside, while 76 per cent believe it prioritises urban issues over rural ones.
Campaigners defend trail hunting by highlighting its economic contribution, saying hunts add more than £100 million annually to the rural economy and form part of the social fabric of country life. Jane Bowen, chairman and master of the Grove Rufford Hunt in South Yorkshire, said: "As we all know, they're bombarding the farmers with lots of legislation, and they are against the rural communities – we must hold tight and fight them back."
Georgina Owen, joint-master of the Ludlow Hunt, echoed the sentiment, stating: "The countryside is facing an unbelievable barrage of attacks from Westminster that will destroy everything that we know and love about our way of life and its communities."
The Government is set to launch its consultation on how to ban trail hunting early in the new year, setting the stage for a continued and heated battle over the future of this centuries-old tradition.
