We heard Ben Vincent and Dave Shillam were going to be making an appearance at the South Tetcott cubbing meet at East Park (near St Giles on the Heath) last Saturday evening. So of course we weren’t going to pass up an opportunity to keep an eye on what they get up to.
We caught Ben digging out at the Eggesford cubbing meet just last week and together with Mendip Hunt Saboteurs we filmed Ben and Dave digging out at the Axe Vale (where Dave is a regular) just a few months ago. See the HSA’s post about that.
Ahead of National Trail Hunting Day (aka Smokescreen Saturday) this weekend, the footage we filmed at the Axe Vale exposes what hunts up and down the country really get up to, week in, week out, when they pretend to be ‘trail-hunting’.
We turned up on the dot of 5pm to the South Tetcott meet and found a gathering of bedraggled hunt supporters stood in the rain at the entrance to the farm. Their faces instantly dropped. Clearly not so keen to be caught doing illegal things again so close to Smokescreen Saturday, the decision was made to abandon cubbing plans and instead take the hounds for a quick stroll down the lane and back, and to let them run around a field for a bit. Meanwhile, the terrier boys stayed in the yard and donned their masks to hide not only their ugly faces but also their disappointment at having had their evening bloodsport ruined.
Neighbouring Lamerton Hunt terrierman Steve Mitchell didn’t hang around, but Dave Shillam, Ben Vincent, Tim Ingram (former South Tetcott huntsman and partner to Axe Vale huntswoman Laura Shillam) and the others spent the next hour staring gormlessly into space and taking selfies of themselves with our vehicle in the background.
Dave tried so hard to conceal his identity, even going to the lengths of rubbing cow shit onto the front and back numberplate of his vehicle. He needn’t have bothered, since he forgot to leave his mask on when taking selfies.
Soon the hounds and their new huntswoman, Amy Parkin, returned to the farmyard. A fort was erected, consisting of a sheep trailer attached to a pickup truck and parked at the entrance to the yard, with additional plastic sheeting used to cover the gaps.
It wasn’t clear if they were just trying to obstruct our view or preparing for some kind of theatre performance. The hunting horn was blown and hounds were riled up into cry, presumably to make us think they’d gone out the back to start hunting (despite them being visibly boxed up in the hound van).
When their embarrassing pantomime didn’t receive the reaction they were expecting, the hunt finally gave up and started leaving in dribs and drabs. Dave drove off with the numberplates on his pickup still illegally obscured.
Make no mistake: all three hunts (Axe Vale, South Tetcott and Eggesford – just a few of the hunts Ben Vincent and Dave Shillam have been at in the last fortnight) are registered packs, whose governing body, the British Hounds Sports Association (BHSA), is hosting this weekend’s farcical ‘trail-hunting’ demonstration. The truth about trail-hunting is here for all to see.
More to follow on the Axe Vale story soon!
The Environment Secretary can end terrier work today, by removing guidance written into the Hunting Act that allows it.
Please email Steve Reed to tell him that he must ban this cruel practice immediately!
steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk
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