Huge crowds attend the Festival of Hunting

Thousands of hunt supporters made their annual trip to Peterborough for the Lycetts Festival of Hunting at the East of England Showground earlier this week (18th July).

The Countryside Alliance stand was busy throughout the day, offering the perfect opportunity for members and supporters to discuss any hunting issues face-to-face with CA staff while meeting friends and learning about our ongoing campaign for hunting and other country sports.

The highlight for many visitors was the 130th Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show where packs from all across the country put hounds in front of the judges in their efforts to land the championship titles in both the doghound and bitch hound classes.

The Grove and Rufford followed up a very successful day's showing at the Great Yorkshire Show last week to take the doghound championship with Saxon under the watchful eye of judges Jacky Thomas MFH and Andrew Cooke MFH. In the afternoon, Martin Scott and Tom Lyle MFH awarded the bitch hound championship to Heythrop Racket.

In addition to the modern foxhound classes, there were separate rings for the Old English foxhounds, harriers, beagles, basset hounds, draghounds and bloodhounds, plus displays of Fell hounds and coursing dogs. There were good crowds surrounding virtually every ring all throughout the day with a keen interest in the results as they were announced.

The inter-hunt relay competitions – both junior and senior - were as hotly-contested as ever with the senior accolade going to the Grove and Rufford who took home a cheque for £1,000. The junior competition was won by the Woodland Pytchley.

There were plenty of shopping opportunities with a variety of trade stands that, judging by the number of shopping bags being carried around, also enjoyed a very successful day!

The CA hunting team are now looking forward to the West of England Hound Show at Honiton (Thursday, 2nd August) so please pop along to our stand if you are visiting the show this year.