Despite East Devon Hunt’s delusions of grandeur as a respectable and prestigious hunt, their huntsman and terrier men always let them down. Having heard reports in recent weeks of their terrier boys being up to their old tricks, we felt that the hunt were well overdue a visit from us and headed off to their annual New Year’s meet at Woodbury Common.
They met at Woodbury Castle and their horse boxes and supporters monopolised the car parks to the detriment of families and outdoors enthusiasts who regularly use the common on a Saturday. EDH sure don’t like being sabbed and once they realised they were having a visit there seemed to be a little bit of panic. We’re sure the terrier boys were warned to be on their best behaviour and they made a real spectacle about producing a piece of rope with rag on the end as a supposed trail layer. They refused to tell us what was on their rag and the trail layer didn’t seem to grasp that the idea was for him to lay the trail infront of the hunt rather than moving off at the same time as the pack and the rest of the 30 odd field. He gave up the pretense of trail laying halfway through the day and rode with the rest of the field. What was even more amusing, considering their futile attempt at pantomime legal hunting, was that ten minutes after leaving the meet a car appeared bearing new dark jackets and the redcoats comically changed into dark clothes. We can only assume that this was to try to evade us but we do wonder why if they were, as they suggested, hunting a trail within the law they would want to hide from us? Anyway, we all know trail hunting is just a ruse to subvert the Hunting Act and you can read all about it here: http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/2015-IFAW-Trail-of-Lies-full-report.pdf
Huntsman Darren Beeney spent most of the day going round in circles on the common. We know this area well and came with two vehicles so we could move teams around at will and keep on the hunt. Right at the start hounds went into cry at Castle Plantation and zig-zagged through a large area of gorse on the common. Sabs in the distance tried to call them off as Beeney hunted them on. All the action stopped abruptly and hounds were moved swiftly on towards Upham Plantation. Beeney spent an awful lot of time drawing Uphams and Crook Plantation with hounds only briefly going into cry a couple of times. We lost the huntsman for a short period in the early afternoon but soon found him around Kettle Plantation with support positioned along the road. There was a brief concern because a quad had changed its rider, who was now nowhere to be seen, and a spade was missing from the back of it. However, Lewis Strawbridge and the rest of his terrier boys were tucked up in a 4×4 and seemed to have had their wings clipped for the day.
Beeney tried his luck in Uphams Plantation for a second time and sabs briefly took control of half the pack, much to the dismay of the whipper-in who was desperately trying to help Beeney regain control. By 2.30pm the pack and 6 remaining riders were hacking down the road into Kerslake Farm where we suspected they were boxing up. Sabs entered on a permissive track and EDH finally let their veil slip and proceeded to assault sabs on a footpath. It’s amazing how they turn and show their real colours when they have to go home without their bloodlust satiated. But all’s well that ends well and we were in the pub by 3.30pm having a well-deserved pint and celebrating a successful year sabbing in 2016.
We have gone from strength to strength this year and would like to thank the HSA and all our supporters and friends, and everyone we have worked with, for their support and commitment to us this past year. We head into 2017 stronger, larger and as determined as ever to do all we can to protect the wildlife of the West Country.
