We rarely get to go out sabbing a mid-week hunt but today we managed to get a few of us together and met up with sabs from various groups from all over the country to pay a visit to The Ledbury Hunt.
We got to the meet before the hunt so managed to be in a good position when the hunt left at 12pm. Soon enough we caught up with them and noticed a supporter alerting the hunt that a fox had just passed him. We leapt into action as the hounds were now well onto the fox’s scent. By using whips and rating the hounds we stopped them in their pursuit and gave the fox some time to get away. Not happy with the fact that we intervened, riders started trying to ride down sabs and attempted to slow us up whilst the hunt took off with the hounds after the fox. Not to be deterred by bully-boy tactics we made our way to our vehicle to catch up with the hunt.
As we were driving up an A road near where we suspected the hunt to be a fox bolted across the road in front of us. We got out and masked the hedge rows on either side of the road with citronella sprays and spread out to stop the hounds crossing the road. Within minutes the hounds had picked up on the path of the fox but we stopped them again and they never made it fully across the road which was a relief. The scum didn’t seem to care that their hounds were all over the busy road (great trail laying, eh?!) and they kept them in the area for a while but they failed to pick up another scent.
We kept on the hunts heels for the rest of the day despite massive amounts of support and ‘lads’ arriving and throwing their weight around and giving us constant abuse and shoves. Whatever! We left knowing that we came out on top after watching the hunt go back to the meet and pack up at 4.30.