DRONE ATTACK ON A SABS DRONE — COUNTERMEASURES ALWAYS NECESSARY FROM THE HUNT SABS

View this email in your browser Hi, Beaufort Hunt Heighten Drone Wars In Premeditated Attack In November 2024, the Beaufort Hunt were hunting foxes at Widley’s Gorse, located on farmland owned by the Duke of Beauforts’ Badminton Estate and farmed by the fox-hunting Hibbard family, when the pack of hounds attacked a fox which was seeking refuge in a badger sett. Beaufort hounds attack the badger sett. Wiltshire Hunt Sabs were present and monitoring the hunt with a drone, which captured footage of the hounds attacking the badger sett. After the attack, aware that sabs had likely filmed the attack, the huntsman led the hounds to nearby Commonwood Farm, a regular hunt safe-haven, while the sab drone continued to track their movements overhead. The huntsman on the left watches the drone attack from his horse. This was the drone's last moments in the sky over Commonwood Farm. Unbeknown to sabs, the hunt had a countermeasure prepared. In a first-of-its-kind attack in the UK, the hunt launched their own drone, fitted with a wire and weight designed to entangle the sab drone’s rotors. The attack drone operator waited for the right moment to strike. The hunt lingered at Commonwood Farm, allowing the operator to position the hostile drone. The first attempt to bring down the sab drone failed, causing only a brief signal loss, but the second attempt succeeded. Both drones fell to the ground near barns at Commonwood Farm. Our drones’ camera just caught a glimpse of the end of the attack cord. This was used to entangle the moving rotors as the drone was in flight. The recording from the drone is streamed to the operator's remote, hence we were able to provide video of the attack. Immediately after the drones came crashing to earth, a hunt rider in full Beaufort regalia rushed to the scene, abandoning his horse in order to stamp on and smash the sabs drone and destroy its signaling capability. A quad bike arrived next, driven by well-known hunt employee James Milsom, who assisted in the removal of evidence from the scene. His rear passenger began helping the dismounted rider who now appeared to be receiving instructions via his phone. Milsom then took the remains of the sab drone and hid it under scrap metal on the farm. The three Beaufort members then untangled the wire from their attack drone, which was relaunched and returned to its operator. The Beaufort hunter is assisted by the fencer quad to relaunch the attack drone moments after they had brought down the sab drone and destroyed it. What the hunt didn’t know was that a long-range camera had been trained on them throughout much of the incident. This footage, combined with the sab drone’s video feed - which is automatically saved to the operator’s fly app - provided clear evidence of the attack and the individuals involved. The sabs alerted police, and armed officers arrived, initially believing the drone had been shot down. However, despite requests to search the farm or the nearby silver-grey hunt supporters truck parked where the drone had crashed, no meaningful search took place. Armed police and response officers attended but failed to search the known silver Mitsubishi support truck which arrived at the farm most certainly to assist with the removal of evidence of the attack. Six weeks later, on January 11th, the hunt attempted a repeat of this tactic. On an exceptionally cold day when most hunts stayed home, with the ground too frozen for horses, the hunt, not keen on losing more revenue from hunt subscribers, instead opted to hunt on foot; meeting at midday at Badminton House, the Duke’s private estate. Hounds quickly picked up the scent of a fox hiding in hay bales at nearby Wick Farm, Luckington. The sab drone, tracking the hunt, spotted a hunt member on their phone, seemingly coordinating or relaying instructions. The hounds were attacking the stacked haybales where a fox was hiding out. The hunt support below notice the drone overhead, quickly got out their phone and made a call. Soon, the hunt launched another hostile drone, again equipped with a wire and weight. This time, however, the sab drone managed to evade the attack, capturing footage of the hostile drone swinging its tethered weight wildly in the air. As the hunt drone’s battery depleted, it returned to its operator. The sab drone followed and recorded its landing deep within the Duke’s estate, where three individuals stood near a silver VW. The footage clearly showed the hunt members untangling the wire from their drone. The registration plate of the vehicle, along with open bottles of alcohol, was also captured on camera. The attack drone returned to its operator deep inside the Badminton Estate, with it’s tethered fishing wire and weight attached. The attack failed this time. Image Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs Sabs immediately called the police, armed with clear video evidence, including the operators’ identities and actions. While the footage provided undeniable proof of the hunt’s illegal and premeditated activities, police eventually turned up several hours later, once again failing to search for evidence, and choosing not to exercise the numerous powers available to them against the wealthy and well-connected hunt members. The sab drone followed the drone to its operator, who turned out to be none other than the ex Beaufort Huntsman Tony Holdsworth, accompanied by two female line detanglers, one of which is Toni Ponting, a Beaufort stalwart with a long history of assaults against hunt sabs. Later that day, one of the attack drone trio was arrested under different circumstances. As the hunt was wrapping up, a visibly intoxicated man exited the driver’s seat of the same silver vehicle. Spotting a sab walking alone down a public road, the man launched an unprovoked physical attack. A female accomplice joined in, filming the assault with one hand while using the other to scratch and pull the sab’s hair. When a second sab intervened to defuse the situation, the woman turned her attention to them, continuing her violent outburst. Huntsman Tony Holdsworth who hunted the Beaufort hounds until 2016, exited the car he was driving and launched into an unprovoked violent assault before fleeing the scene when police arrived. Holdsworths female accomplice Toni Ponting joins in the attack and tries to film it too! By now, the hunt should have realised that sabs rarely miss a camera angle. This time was no exception. With multiple victims and video evidence of the assault, the police were forced to act. The intoxicated woman was arrested on the spot, while the male assailant fled on foot into the depths of the Badminton Estate to evade capture and the police breathalyser. Toni Ponting being informed that she was to be arrested, she had been laughing with police right up to this moment. Toni Ponting continues her abuse through the windows even as police arrive on the scene. Sabs were later able to positively identify the perpetrators of the assault as the same individuals involved in operating the illegal drone. The male drone operator and attacker was revealed to be none other than Tony Holdsworth, a former huntsman and master of the Beaufort Hunt who retired in 2016, passing the role to the current huntsman, Matt Ramsden. Holdsworth is also listed as the Regional Organiser for the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and an adviser at “Hunting Kind,” a pro-hunt organisation headed by Ed Swales. Swales is perhaps best known for his recent, bizarre suggestion that fox hunters should be granted the same legal protections as ethnic minorities and other protected groups. Holdworths’ female accomplice, and the violent thug who attacked both sabs is Toni Ponting, a notorious member of the Beaufort Hunt with a history of assaults on opponents of fox hunting. Tony Holdsworth operated his illegal attack drone from deep inside the Badminton Estate, which is owned by Henry Somerset the 12th Duke of Beaufort, and with consent and support from the Duke of Beaufort's Hunt. Holdsworth continues his attack as the sab attempts to get back into the vehicle. Noticing his attack on sabs is being filmed he makes a failed desperate grab for the camera. Despite the serious and undeniable evidence of these crimes—including illegal hunting, endangerment of aircraft, theft, and assault—the police have shown little interest in holding the Beaufort Hunt to account. Ponting, Holdsworth, and their many accomplices are not mere supporters; they are key staff, riders, and members at the core of the hunt. This police inaction is hardly surprising; for decades, the authorities have often been complicit in wildlife crimes committed by the wealthy and powerful. In many cases, they’ve even actively supported hunts. Hunt Sabs have long since stopped expecting meaningful action from the police. Time and time again, it has become clear that we are the only ones standing between hunters and the hunted wildlife. Ponting launches an attack on a second sab who attempted to defuse the situation. A Wiltshire Hunt Sabs spokesperson commented: “What we are witnessing is an escalation in the violent and dangerous tactics that hunts will deploy to prevent the gathering of evidence of their many wildlife crimes. In failing to deal promptly and robustly with this incident police are giving the green light to hunts to use these dangerous tactics and are complicit in putting the public at risk. The wildlife and the public are both being put at risk from hunt criminality and police inaction, it is time the government closes the Hunting Act loopholes, and they must ensure that police everywhere enforce the law when it comes to these well-connected Organised Crime Groups”. Please support Wiltshire Hunt Sabs here paypalme/wiltshirehuntsabs and follow them on Facebook here www.facebook.com/wiltshirehuntsaboteurs. Get involved! Find out how you can be part of our campaign to Strengthen The Hunting Act Take Action Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. 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