On Friday we heard the news that the Flint and Denbigh hunts huntsman Robert Medcalf will be leaving at the end of this current season, which is just his 3rd season at the F&D and the first one was cut short by covid lock down rules.
In one way it was quite surprising that Robert was quiting considering he told us just last year he loved his job at the Cefn Meiriadog kennels. But it many ways it’s not a surprise at all, given Jeremy Reed also famously quit the Flint and Denbigh hunt after admitting he could no-longer hunt thanks to Saboteurs! A glowing reference from ol Jezza.
When Jeremy Reed left nobody wanted the Flint and Denbigh huntsmans job, and why would they given this hunt has been persistently saved week in week out. With nobody applying for the job the F&D had to bring the infamous Nigel Cox out of retirement for a season whilst they searched for a new huntsman. Then Robert Medcalf was sacked by the South Devon hunt after the hunts own photographer reported him to the R.S P.C.A for cruelty to hounds. Being the only one to then apply for the Flint and Denbigh job Medcalf got it, to the disgust of many Flint and Denbigh members. One member contacted us to tell us that this was not a popular appointment following his sacking from the South Devon hunt. We also heard stories of infighting at the South Devon hunt caused by Medcalf. We also heard stories if violence and abuse which we cannot confirm. Whilst Robert Medcalf has never been abusive towards us we’ve seen week in week out the way he treats his whipper-in Will Deague who we are sure will be delighted to see the back of Robert.
Anybody desperate enough to be considered applying for the job really needs to be asking themselves is this really a good opportunity? Jeremy Reed openly admitted he left the job thanks to us and now it appears Robert Medcalf has gone the same after getting every meet sabbed! The pressure really is on the Flint and Denbigh hunt at the moment. Robert Medcalf founds himself interviewed by the police on numerous occasions and even became the first huntsman to be charged by North Wales Police following footage we captured. Since the leaked hunting officer zoom meeting there has been a change in the polices attitude towards illegal hunting. And we believe we are about to see more improvements with the soon to be published review into North Wales Polices dealing with hunt related crime. We’ve recently also seen the hunts terrier men getting searched and questioned as to why they have terriers and digging equipment?
What the job advert on the hunting office website doesn’t say is that the Flint and Denbigh have practically no land left to hunt on. The hunt have lost even more land this season and members are dropping out, the hunt have even complaint to the police about losing land and members due to all the bad publicity. Under Medcalf the hunt have resorted to hunt trespass, they’ve banned from Natural Resources Wales land up near Moel Fannau, they’ve also been told by Denbighshire Council and Flintshire Council that they are not even allowed to use the Bridleways around Moel Arthur and the Offas Dyke trail due to not being able to keep a pack of hounds on a bridleway, not that this has stopped them but we are seeing park rangers out when the hunt are up there and fair play to them they are not amused with the hunts behaviour.
Other things Robert Medcalf has found difficult is keeping his hounds under control, it’s a offence to have hounds not under control on public roads and we are expecting the police to be issuing anti social behaviour orders or the hunt for having hounds roaming on roads and in people’s gardens.
Robert has also found himself locked in at the kennels on a few occasions…..
Whoever takes over at this shambolic hunt next season we guarantee we’ll be out there week in week out until we’ve completed the job….
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