Support for Foxhounds remains strong at Scotland's New Year's Day meets

Thousands of people – following on foot, mounted on horseback or lining village squares across Scotland – were out in force on the 1st January 2020 supporting the Scottish Foxhound packs New Year day meets. The popularity of this annual spectacle, which is an opportunity for foxhound packs to welcome people who might only see foxhounds on this one occasion each year, shows no signs of waning.

This annual event is an opportunity for Scotland's mounted foxhound packs hunts to accept the thanks from those they support, from the farmers and landowners on whose land they protect livestock, game and other ground nesting birds, and to thank their subscribers and the public for their on-going support. This support is contrary to the League Against Cruel Sports' suggestions of "public concerns of illegal practices".

Countryside Alliance Director for Scotland, Jamie Stewart, said: "The support the foxhound packs receive from local communities is demonstrable and is absolutely fantastic. Nothing beats hearing the cheers and claps as the packs ride into the square or the centre of the village and seeing the hundreds of people who have turned out to see them. This is the day when we get to thank the hunts for the vital service they provide and offer our continuing support, ahead of what looks like an unwarranted change to the law based on unfound allegations of illegal practices.

"We welcome the Scottish Government's recognition of the need for proactive wildlife control and the role that foxhounds play. We remain committed to working with the Scottish Government and a wide range of Cross Party politicians to help them better understand the practices employed within the pest control service offered by Mounted Foxhound packs. Responding to Lord Bonomy's recommendations, we worked with the government and a range of stakeholders including the League Against Cruel Sports and OneKind to produce a working Code of Practice for Mounted Foxhound packs.

"The Scottish Countryside Alliance believes that this voluntary process should be given the opportunity to develop, alongside the independent monitoring that Lord Bonomy also recommended, but which has not yet been put in place. The Scottish Government have said in their own statement that they 'will be going further' than their own review has recommended, which is a clear admission that these proposals are not founded on the evidence but rather in politics and prejudice."