HIT REPORT : BSV
MEET : Marsh Court, Caundle Marsh
Saturday 9th Feb 2019
This is not going to be a usual HIT report, a fox lost its life today and as expected we feel very angry about this. Instead of writing a long summary of the day there are some other factors we would like to mention instead. We have worked very hard covering the BSV this season and have without a doubt saved many, many foxes. Despite what the BSV hunt supporters think we are not paid – well, only in the form of abuse both physical and verbal. We can only describe today’s events as a seamless day of pre-ban hunting !
Considering the recent equine flu outbreak which has brought a halt to the multi million pound horse racing industry we hoped the local Dorset hunts would do the sensible thing and cancel hunting. Not just because we would get a well needed day off but for the welfare of horses and hounds. There will be horses owners locally who don’t engage in organised crime and may believe by keeping their horses on restriction they would hope to avoid equine flu but the arrogance of one man means that is not the case. The only hunt that didn’t cancel was the BSV, the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt of which Mark Doggrell is Huntsman.
Only the day before there was an update from The Hunting Office, https://thehuntingoffice.org.uk this update states “whilst The Hunting Office is not advising a blanket ban on hunting, Hunts should consider the situation in their locality. Where there are training yards in the area it may be sensible not to hunt this weekend and await the further announcements from the BHA and Veterinary Groups next week which may alter our advice”
The Hunting Office go on to say it is possible for the hounds to become infected with and pass on equine flu.
There are 28 training yards in Dorset and Somerset within a 60 mile radius of the BSV kennels, some are less than ten miles away.
On the 8th Feb Equine Flu was confirmed at Millfield School which is less than 20 miles from the BSV kennels, please see link below.
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/…/equine-flu-case-confirmed-…
Some of the trainers most local to the BSV kennels and to the land they regularly hunt over are :
Paul Nichols based in Ditcheat, Shepton Mallet, 21 miles away
http://www.paulnichollsracing.com
Colin Tizzard based in Milborne Port, Sherbourne, 5 miles away
http://www.colintizzard.co.uk
Mark Gillard based in Holwell, 17 miles away.
http://www.markgillardracing.com
Brian Barr based in Longburton, Sherbourne 8.7 miles from kennels and very local to where they hunted.
http://www.brianbarrracing.co.uk
Bill Turner, based in Corton Denham, Sherbourne. 5 miles away.
Hugo Froud, based in Bruton 9.9 miles
Despite all this Mark Doggrell was the sole huntsman in Dorset who decided to hunt on, and so they met at Marsh Court in Caundle Marsh. There was a field of around 70 riders and more foot support than usual, some riders and support were having a day out with a different hunt as their usual ones had done the sensible thing and cancelled. This also meant that all the monitors and other sab and animal rights groups that are now operating in Dorset also came to the BSV and it was a mass sab !
The amount of us there didn’t stop them from killing a fox early in the day at Yew Tree Farm just North of the meet. Mark Doggrell was soon off his horse with the poor foxes lifeless body in his hands trying to hide it. Edward Doggrell got off his horse to help and a completely innocent passer by had the door of their vehicle opened with the intention of hiding the foxes body in their vehicle assuming them to be hunt support. These passer by’s were horrified by this and so the body of the fox was rushed over to Font Le Roi to be dealt with, it was here last season that they chased a fox and the Doggrells were very abusive to us when we were filming.
Before this incident we had a female rider holding her hand up to cover her face, we could understand even at that point why she didn’t want to be associated with the hunt and even more so after. We are of the firm belief that if you were hunting with the BSV and continue to do so you are complicit in illegal hunting, the evidence is displayed weekly yet still the decision is made to ride with them – YOUR ARE ALL GUILTY !!!
From here they headed to Snagharbour wood were a fox was seen away to safety with many sabs spraying the area and the line the fox had taken away from the hunt. With so many support vehicles out the roads were absolute bedlam and passing along them was time consuming to say the least. Over the radio we were able to keep in touch of where the hounds were and this included Haydon Hill Wood, Hanover Wood and Hussen’s Hanging – all of their usual places. We caught up with them next at Lower Buckshaw Farm and things got rather heated with sabs all over the place and the hunt being watched from every angle ! A female sab was assaulted by a woman twice her age and size and this was caught on film.
From here they headed over to the Doggrell residence, and their favourite Broke Wood and Wizard Bridge area. We had a team make the area safe around Folke Church coz we know how Mark likes to hunt through there despite not being allowed ! Another fox was seen to safety in Broke Wood by WAR and after a quick jolly over to Boys Hill the hunt packed up about 4.45pm.
The Doggrells “fun” didn’t end there though and the story continues. Mark Doggrell and two of his eldest sons Edward and Ben went on a night out to Yeovil. Not content with killing a fox and assaulting sabs they decided to start on the bouncers. This was videoed by people at the scene and when the police turned up the Doggrells run off just like they do on hunt days when the police show up coz they are chasing foxes !! It has to be mentioned that having called the police many times in relation to the Doggrells we have never seen them arrive that quickly !! Hopefully the police caught up with them this time and they finally spent a well earned night in the cells !
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/…/yeovil-wetherspoons-spoons…
Ben Doggrell is well known to the police and on Friday June 9th 2017, he pleaded guilty to a charge of ABH and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and payment of costs/compensation.
On 23rd June 2017 he pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated abuse at the Royal Bath and West Showground on the 3rd June 2017. Ben also admitted being in breach of an 18-month conditional discharge order, which had been imposed at Weymouth Magistrates Court on August 10
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/…/sherborne-man-fined-racial…
Now lets see whether they will finally be brought to justice after breaking the law all day and repeatedly in the last few years