Big crowd at Lacock for master’s last hunt meeting (From Wiltshire Times)

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Big crowd at Lacock for master’s last hunt meeting

11:00am Saturday 31st December 2011 in Latest News By Craig Jones

Jonathan Seed as Master of the Avon Vale hunt leads the riders down into Lacock

Thousands of people crowded into Lacock on Boxing Day for the traditional Avon Vale hunt.

The streets were brought to a standstill as the hunt set off across the countryside at 11am, with 100 riders and large packs of dogs.

James Gray, the MP for North Wiltshire, rode out this year and master of the hunt Jonathan Seed said: “It was a very big crowd, the biggest we can remember. We think probably four or five thousand.

“We had 100 on horses. We had a lot of young people out and a lot of people who followed on foot and in cars. It was a very good afternoon.

“Overall, I think the day went brilliantly. It was some really good festive family fun, which everyone seemed to enjoy.”

This year is Mr Seed’s last as master of the Avon Vale hunt. The Wiltshire councillor will be stepping down after the hunt’s last meeting of the season, in March, after 12 years as master.

He said: “I look back with great fondness. I’ve got 20 years as a master and hunter in Wiltshire and now I think it’s time to move over.”

He said he was confident the ban on fox hunting, introduced in 2004, would be overturned by Parliament in the forseeable future.

The ban made hunting with dogs a criminal offence, although exercising hounds, chasing a scent trail and flushing out foxes to be shot is still legal.

“We’ll get the ban overturned in due course,” he said. “The minister in charge has said he’d like to see it overturned. We’ve just got to wait for the right time, as the coalition has lots of other things to do.“ Next season farmer Stuart Radbourne, 27, of Bromham, will become the new master.

He said: “I’ve been involved in hunting all my life and the last 10 years with Avon Vale.

“I’d like to thank Jonathan, I’m where I am today because of his encouragement and support over the years.”

Comments(8)

elfwyn says...
5:54pm Sat 31 Dec 11

Perhaps to mark his promotion to Master, Mr. Radbourne will put a stop to the blocking of badgers' setts in the Bromham area, for which the hunt has been responsible and which is illegal.

Or perhaps not.