Last Friday we paid a surprise visit to the Eggesford Hunt at Nymet Barton on the edge of Bow. The hunt also appeared to have a surprise visit from the police, and we witnessed one of their followers, Ian Cann, being taken away in the back of a police car.
After leaving the meet to the north, huntsman Jason Marles encouraged hounds to draw the boggy valley. Foot teams stationed either side of the valley witnessed deer break in all directions. The hunt then slipped away in the opposite direction to where we were expecting, heading via Bow towards Upcott Farm, where we witnessed hounds kill a fox a few months ago.
It soon became clear that the Eggesford were trying to make a point, spending the next two hours hunting on land they had been banned from. Hounds, horses and quadbikes were taken through a terrified flock of in-lamb ewes at Upcott Farm, causing distress to the farmer. From there they proceeded towards Little Beere Moor, where hounds marked a fox to ground in a small earth in a hedge. While sabs were documenting the marked site, Jason and his new side-kick (brought in to replace former whip Alex Warden) took hounds on foot across Little Beere Moor towards Great Beere Moor, where all hell broke loose.
Although banned from the majority of this land, Jason ignored landowners’ strong protestations and continued to hunt hounds on right in front of them. Hounds interrupted a horse training event by chasing a fox through the horse arena, causing the event to be cut short. Terriermen on quadbikes threatened and assaulted the landowners. Police were called. Meanwhile two foxes were hunted to ground in separate badger setts. Another fox was seen by sabs dangerously close to hounds, followed by the kind of horrendous sound that usually indicates a kill. We rated hounds, sprayed to cover the scent of numerous foxes and guarded setts from terriermen, but Jason gleefully carried on blowing encouraging horn calls, much to the delight of riders and car followers who were watching from the road.
Eventually hounds were taken back in direction of Upcott and Burrow and then towards Great Wooden and West Foldhay. As police arrived, Jason scarpered to the north, marking another fox to ground at a badger sett at Lower Newton and then another at a fox earth at Man’s Newton. From here the hunt headed gradually back south towards the meet, where they packed up.
Reinforcement sabs arrived, enabling us to guard multiple sett locations while terriermen hovered and repeatedly checked to see if we had left so they could dig out. Our presence at these setts alone saved many lives that day, as each one of them would have been dug out if we hadn’t been there. Foxes’ and badgers’ lives are both at stake every time the hunt dig out a sett, and at this time of year badger cubs are still underground. Sadly they wouldn’t stand a chance in a subterranean encounter with a terrier. If Devon & Cornwall Police want to witness badger persecution in action, they need only pay a visit to the Eggesford Hunt on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays during the hunting season.
We have visited numerous other hunts this season but whenever we sab Eggesford we are reminded of why they deserve the most attention. However, their arrogance is their own Achilles’ heel. The growing local opposition to this hunt is really noticeable. We were stopped and thanked several times at this meet, one person giving us a donation, others offering lifts throughout the day.
Landowners coming together to ban the hunt from large swathes of the countryside is what will eventually end this practice, and we will support landowners who wish to take this step in whatever way we can. If you are a farmer, landowner or concerned local living in Eggesford hunt country, please contact us by private message.
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