On November 28th, we decided to take the opportunity to pay a visit to the Stevenstone Hunt, who have not been sabbed in their own country in many years. They met west of Torrington at Horwood Coombe, a community forest school.
With a foot team in position overlooking the meet, we saw them head west to the River Duntz and begin drawing a copse. The hunt gradually made their way west past Buckland Brewer and in the direction of Babeleigh Barton. At one point hounds put up a hare but the presence of foot sabs allowed the hare to get away and the hunt moved on. Two pompous riders then tried to use their horses as weapons to intimidate foot sabs, who stood their ground. When the hunt realised that sabs weren’t going anywhere, they pulled the hounds out of the valley south of Cabbacott and headed north. Riders came galloping out of the field towards sabs on the road, one of whom was groped by a lecherous, digusting individual on a horse. Our vehicles were blocked in multiple times and the huntsman, clearly frustrated, hit one of them with his whip. A hunt supporter attempted to get into one of our cars and then tried to let the tyres down.
The hunt spent the next hour drawing the valley between Greenhill and Tuckingmill, under the watchful eyes of foot sabs, but hounds never got onto anything. The final part of the day was spent between Halsbury Barton, Beara and Bowden, in a wooded valley where hounds went into cry. A team of foot sabs were right with them and rated hounds effectively, stopping them from following the line. The huntsman responded by taking the pack away down the valley, and the field followed through clearly difficult terrain. Because the ground was so wet foot sabs were able to track the hunt by their hoof- and paw-prints, eventually catching up with them again as they emerged onto the road.
In fading light and worsening conditions the hunt made their way back towards Hillpark Copse, where they had started the day, and packed up. Meanwhile, frustrated hunt followers decided to tail one of our vehicles, driving dangerously, attempting to push our vehicle off the road and taking every opportunity to block us in. It was a soaking wet day with strong Atlantic winds, so the hunt had kept to the low ground in the many river valleys in the area. The terrible conditions made it difficult to keep track of them at times and hunt support seemed none the wiser. However, foot sabs persevered and pulled hounds off the line on several occasions. We finished the day as wet and muddy as the hunt, hardly an unusual outcome so far this season!
This was our first visit to the Stevenstone but it certainly won’t be our last. Thanks to our friends from Somerset Hunt Saboteur Group, who joined us again today. Without their help so far this season we would have struggled to transport all our foot sabs!
