Busy day today, splitting into groups again. We got a last-minute tip-off that the Cotswold Hunt were near Andoversford so scrambled in that direction joined by Cheshire Hunt Saboteurs and West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs while we also met with NORTH Shropshire HUNT SABS to look for the Ross Harriers who were found around Orcop.
With Bristol and Bath Hunt Sabs heading for the Harriers, 3C and North Shrops left to go to the Cotswold Vale Farmers’ Hunt who had just been spotted in Apperley. So a hunt in each cull zone! Almost.
We won’t repeat the language used by huntsman Frenchy at the CVFH when sabs had to take control of his hounds and when he couldn’t stop the pack running all over the road. A fox sprang ‘out of nowhere’ in front of sabs who helped him get away from the hounds who weren’t far behind him.
We watched the Cotswold pack up after spending most of their time in a valley, just as our friends in Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch were watching the Beaufort Hunt second horse (!) at their meet. We feel for you guys! Sett-checking then breakfast we think!
From North Shropshire Hunt Sabs:
Cotswold Vale Farmers Hunt
Appley Court
1st October 2016
This will be less of a hit report and more of a rant!
Today, North Shrops joined with Three Counties and started out kennel watching the Ross Harriers. We followed them to their meet at Orcop. At this point, we were joined by sabs from Bristol and Bath and after asking Owain about his little dip in the river Wye, headed off to start the day.
However, we received information from a member of the public that the Cotswold Vale Farmers Hunt had been seen at Apperly in the Gloucestershire cull zone, and seeing as there were plenty of sabs to handle the Ross Harriers, decided to take a over.
What happened next is one of the most disgraceful displays of incompetence and negligence on behalf of the hunt we have witnessed in over 50 years combined sabbing experience.
On arrival in the area, we crossed the river to find hounds on the main Tewksbury road. While this is not an uncommon event on smaller country roads, it is madness on a major A road, especially as there was no hunt staff or even supporters anywhere to be seen or heard.
We immediately slowed traffic and began whipping the hounds back off the road. At this time, the only other people in the vicinity were drivers swerving to avoid the hounds and a member of the public who looked a little bemused. As this road is extremely dangerous with fast moving traffic, and with the hunt nowhere to be seen, we decided the safest option was to call the hounds away from the road into an adjacent field.
For the next 7 1/2 minutes, and with not a glimpse of a member of the hunt, we did everything we could to keep the hounds out of harms way and off the main Tewksbury road by using a gizmo, hunting horns and voice calls. As Nathan Golding, the new Joint Master of the Cotswold Vale turned up, hounds went into cry through an area of scrub, putting up a cub and chasing it across the footpath directly in front of one sab. The young fox bolted down a nearby drain and hounds then marked to ground at the other end.
By now, “Frenchie” the huntsman had turned up. You would of thought that he would have been grateful that sabs not only saved several of his hounds from being killed on the road, but also prevented a major accident. But no, instead he ranted like a mad man, accusing us of endangering his hounds and resorting to language that even we found offensive.
He crossed over the road and spent about twenty minutes rounding up a completely split pack until the hounds he did have with him rioted off directly towards another thankfully less busy road.
We met the hounds as they crossed, again completely unaccompanied by huntsman, whip or foot support able to slow traffic. When they did arrive a minute or so later, accompanied by Ben Hughes (badger killer) and a selection of other lowlifes, Frenchie and his whip made threats and tried to ride into us, all the while continuing to hunt the hounds on.
On returning to the car, we found one of said lowlifes crouched down by our front tyre. After a quick check for damage, we tried to leave only to have this bunch of muppets attempt to block us in. Thankfully, not only does our trusty sab mobile turn on a sixpence but it also has an amazing driver who squeezed out despite their best efforts and we followed the hunt back to the meet. Better luck next time Muppets!
So on a closing note to this rant , we have some advice for Nathan Golding and the other masters of the Cotswold Vale, no matter what our differences may be with regard to hunting, SACK SIMON FRENCH NOW before he kills off the entire pack with his total incompetence or worse still, causes a major accident and possibly kills some poor innocent motorist.
We will be posting video of today’s events soon, although some of the language is not for those of a delicate disposition. You have been warned!
Rant over.
North Shropshire Hunt Sabs