Hunting into the future

There will be much to celebrate tomorrow as thousands of hunt supporters descend upon the East of England Showground for the Festival of Hunting and the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show. The very best examples of their breeds of foxhounds, beagles, harriers and basset hounds will be contesting for the prestigious honour of claiming a championship. 

Whether you are competing in the show ring, watching the young handlers’ class, attending to support your local pack of hounds or your hunt’s inter-hunt relay team, or just there to meet friends and do a spot of retail therapy, the third Wednesday in July is always a special date in the summer hunting diary.

This will be the last time we all head to the showground to be a part of this spectacle, however, with positive planning in place for the long-term future of this special day, the news last week that Milton Park, near Peterborough, will be the venue in 2024, was widely welcomed.

Whilst continuing to look ahead to the future, we are delighted to launch our Action for Hunting initiative which recognises the threats facing hunting but highlights how hunts and hunt supporters can take action to help secure hunting with hounds for generations to come. 

At our recent Westminster Hunting Briefing, Lord (Nicholas) Soames, our president, Baroness Mallalieu and other distinguished speakers warned of the imminent political threats facing hunting, the changes that are necessary to help fight off further restrictions and the route to securing a sustainable future for hunting with hounds for decades to come.

We are urging those who support hunting, of all ages and whether you hunt now, used to follow hounds, or just support from a distance, to sign up to commit to taking action for hunting to keep it off the political agenda. This action may take a variety of forms and be required any time between now and the next General Election but be assured that by getting involved you can help to protect our way of life.

Upholding the highest standards on and off the hunting field, promoting our lawful hunting activities and offering reassurance that all hunting activity is legitimate will help to build public support for hunting with hounds and reduce the risk of hostile legislation. 

You can read more about Action for Hunting here, and sign up for updates here.  

If you are heading to Peterborough tomorrow, please pop into our stand which is located near the Vice Presidents’ marquee at the top of the trade stands. We look forward to meeting many of our members and supporters to discuss our Action for Hunting initiative and other aspects of our work.

Light refreshments will be available on our stand, along with a selection of merchandise and you can even pick up your copy of the Cheshire Hunt’s fabulous recipe book which is a must for every hunting-lover’s kitchen. 

The Alliance is delighted to be a key sponsor again this year and looks forward to supporting next year and beyond as we head into a new era for one of the highlights of the summer hunting season.