Crowds of spectators wave off Maldon hunt

Trusted article source icon
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Profile image for Essex Chronicle

Essex Chronicle

HUNDREDS of spectators lined Maldon's High Street on Monday to watch the town's new year's hunt set off.

The event, which has run for nearly 30 years, meets outside the Blue Boar Hotel and this year 50 horses and their riders paraded down the busy road before beginning the hunt.

And six years after the controversial sport of fox hunting was banned, this event proved its spirit is very much alive in the Maldon district.

Master of the Essex Farmers and Union Hunt, Douglas Hill, who organises the event, said: "It was an excellent day.

"We had about 50 horses taking part and hundreds and hundreds of spectators.

"It was a really busy day and so many people were lining the High Street to wave the hunt off."

Mr Hill, who turned 69 on New Year's Day, is a West Hanningfield farmer.

He added: "The hunt has been running since 1984 when the Essex Farmers and Union Hunt was formed by the amalgamation of the Essex Farmers and Essex Union hunts, but the event really dates back hundreds of years."

The riders meet outside the hotel on Silver Street and then mount their horses before setting off on the hunt, which involves hounds tracking a scent.

"The hunt is synonymous with Christmas time in the district now," said Mr Hill.

"There's a great atmosphere and we finished the hunt in the countryside about five miles away from where we started.

"The Blue Boar where we meet is an old coach inn so it's appropriate that we start there."

The hunting of foxes with dogs was made illegal by the Labour government in February 2005.

But Monday's event went smoothly even with the attendance of a few protesters.

"I didn't see them but I heard there were about three protesters present," said Mr Hill.

"It didn't affect the day and things all went very well.

"We're now looking forward to next year's event."

18
Tweet this article
Report

18 Comments

  • Profile image for tajmahal

    by tajmahal

    Monday, January 09 2012, 6:02PM

    “The bloodsport of fox hunting has nowt to do with culling and everything to do with psychotic monsters wearing ridiculous outfits and satisying their insane appetite for blood by running down a defenceless, wild animal. Foxes inhabited the countryside long before bloodthirsty, ignorant, violent farmers came along blasting and tearing to pieces wild animals for their own perverted, warped gratification.
    Fox hunting is evil and must be stopped per se. Reports since the ban that fox hunting has been unofficially tolerated by police forces is most disturbing and wholly unacceptable. This act of primitive savagery has no place whatsoever in 21c Britain. Those savages who ride of horseback and indulge in this sick pastime are the abosolute pits and ought to be put behind bars. They are the scum of society and ought to be too ashamed to show their faces in public.
    The act of fox hunting is evil and the thugs who perform it pariahs.
    No normal-minded person would countenance such a vile, immoral act of sheer bloodlust.
    As for the whole crass 'jobs and economic' argument about fox hunting and bloodsports - 200 hundred and more years ago, slave traders used the same sick argument. Today's huntsmen and huntswomen are on the same gutter level as yesteryear's slave traders.
    While the rotten, corrupt British establishment endorses this perverse barbarity, these people should be aware that there is an infinitely higher, far greater, ultimate authority that they will have to answer to one day for this evil.”

  • Profile image for stevebatkin

    by stevebatkin

    Monday, January 09 2012, 12:05PM

    “I don't agree with hunting foxes with hounds, it can be very messy with the fox suffering. The problem is all the foxes natural predators were hunted into extinction prior to the fox!
    http://tinyurl.com/c5fch56

  • Profile image for KerrieQ

    by KerrieQ

    Friday, January 06 2012, 6:36PM

    “Ewww. No Toff For Me Please.

    Disgusting Savages. All Of Them! Support The Ban! Ban The Hunt! Why Would Anyone Want To Support These People Going Off To Out-datedly "Kill The Vermin" When 1.) It's Against The Law (And ***. We Know Full Well You Aren't Scenting, YOUR KILLING!) And 2.) Look At Them! They Might As Well Be Wearing Clown Outfits And Squeaking A Horn. Finally 3.) I'm Sure People Would Of Liked To Use That "Busy Road" To Join Their Families On Boxing Day. Totally Inconveniencing Everyone And Then Murdering Animals For Kicks And Giggles.

    Disgusting, Hellish, Blood-Thirsty, Cunning Stunts! If You Get My Drift.”

  • Profile image for moldp

    by moldp

    Friday, January 06 2012, 6:05PM

    “Aurum89, I didn't know farmers were suddenly 'philanthrophist humanitarians' and farms 'charities.' Come of it, farmers sit around all day (unless these cowardly scumbags are hunting defenceless foxes), living off of bloated EU CAP subsidies, paid out of OUR taxes, so they DON't grow crops! The UK's hardly short of food now is it! Farming and agriculture is a microscopic, meaningless aspect of our economy and if it went altogether, we wouldn't even notice it!
    Moreover, what about imported food products, you forgot that one didn't you!
    Anyway, back to the point, fox hunting and all bloodsports are evil, wicked, perverse, sick archaic activities carried out by perverts.”

  • Profile image for Barry_Spider

    by Barry_Spider

    Friday, January 06 2012, 5:38PM

    “Aurum89,
    These are not constructive points. Even if the Pope himself participated in an activity, that would not make that activity more Christian. Only one person could do that and that would be Jesus.

    Not that its validity to Christianity is relevent. The Bible advocates some very sinister practices that make hunting seem like a children's picnic.

    Also, you seem to suggest that the allowing hunting is a cost-effective method of pest control. Even if that were true should we allow it just because we might get our food slightly cheaper? There are immeasurably larger influences on food prices.”

  • Profile image for Aurum89

    by Aurum89

    Friday, January 06 2012, 4:29PM

    “The Reverend John 'Jack' Russell hunted- if it wasn't for him, there would be no Jack Russell Terriers!”

  • Profile image for Aurum89

    by Aurum89

    Friday, January 06 2012, 4:25PM

    “St. Hubertus, the patron saint of hunters..”

  • Profile image for mhayworth

    by mhayworth

    Friday, January 06 2012, 4:15PM

    “How sad that the writer thinks the hunt is synonymous with Christmas. There is nothing Christain about terrorising animals and gathering round to revel in their agonising death. They've even renamed 'cub hunting' to 'Autumn hunting' in order to hide their perversion and of course to keep up the ludicrous charade that they only hunt the old and infirm. These people are no different from dog fighters and badger baiters. They just dress up for the kill in an attempt to look respectable. Cameron couldn't muster a majority following the worst Labour government in living memory. If he tries to repeal the hunting act, he'll lose what little support he last left.”

  • Profile image for Aurum89

    by Aurum89

    Friday, January 06 2012, 12:54PM

    “But they safeguard their crops which ultimately is your food. If crops or poultry are damaged by animals, then you would end up with less of the product being available and ultimately higher prices to the consumer!

    Blair admited the Act was a mistake- says it all really.”

  • Profile image for Barry_Spider

    by Barry_Spider

    Friday, January 06 2012, 12:35PM

    “Aurum89,

    You seem to make the fact that farmers provide food, which we all need, sound so philanthropic rather than something done for money....which it is!


    Just because their input into society is vital does that validate their pursuits, especially when deemed amoral by most of society and an act of Parliament.

    We wouldn't allow life-saving firemen to have a side-line of caning school children for fun, even if we did still have caning in schools, because to allow someone to take pleasure from suffering is amoral & slightly disturbing.”

        Your comments awaiting moderation

        Add your comments

        max 4000 characters