News

With the hunting season set to start on Saturday it appears the post-ban hunting world is booming and a Kent hunt has reported a big rise in numbers taking part.

According to the Countryside Alliance, there has been a 10 per cent increase in people going out every week or more, representing an increase of 5,000 people on the number that hunted before the fox ban.

On Boxing Day, popular with fair-weather riders, an estimated 30,000 more people take part than before the ban.

However, it's not drag hunting, that is underpinning this growth, but trail hunting, which replicates the fox hunt more genuinely.

The trail hunt tries to mirror the zigzag path of a hunted fox and has grown in popularity since the ban, unlike drag hunting.

Instead of the law causing the demise of hunting and its supporting trades, such as farriers and liveries, the upsurge in newcomers has reportedly brought a rural economic boom.

From the West Country to Kent, hunt masters and retailers all say they've never had it so good. As the new season prepares to get under way, the hunting world appears to be in much better shape.

In Kent, both the West Street Tickham and East Sussex and Romney Marsh hunts are reporting a greater number of people taking part than ever before.

"The fields (of riders) are tremendously packed. There are a lot more youngsters coming along these days," says Sarah Leggat, secretary of the West Street Tickham hunt. "We used to have about 30 riders on our hunts before the ban, now we can have 50 on the big days."