The Avon Vale Hunt have today been kicked out of the British Hound Sports Association, hunting’s ‘governing body,’ after damning footage of hunt staff digging out and throwing foxes to waiting hounds was released yesterday.
Masters were summoned to Gloucestershire today for a hearing following the release of the shocking footage, with the subsequent public outcry leaving the BHSA with no other option than to kick them out.
In footage leaked to the Hunt Saboteurs Association and aired on ITV News yesterday evening, members of the hunt including whipper-in Aaron Fookes and three terriermen, are seen crouching over what looks to be a badger sett, with the excited hounds being held back by hunt master Stuart Radbourne and others.
After an orange terrier – sent into the hole to find and attack the poor fox – is removed, Fookes grabs the fox from the earth, whoops to further excite the hounds, and then throws the poor animal to the pack.
As the hounds close in to savage this first victim, a second terrified fox bolts left from the earth and is pursued by some of the pack. This leads a hunter off-camera to scream excitedly that “There’s a brace!” – the hunting term for a pair of foxes.
As the footage closes, Fookes is seen to stretch out his arms in celebration, before he and Radbourne run to their horses to pursue the second fox.
While there is outrage among the hunting community, much of this is at the fact that the incident was filmed and has since been made public, rather than disgust at the actions shown.
The truth is, this incident is far from exceptional and shows the part that ‘terrier work’ plays in a hunting day. Many hunts have and will continue to do similar when they think they aren’t being watched.
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