Hunting and pointing - a comment
Obviously the proposed ban on hunting is yet another example of how urban, the majority of, MPs are completely oblivious to rural communities and the many threads that hold them together and keep isolated people from mental health issues. But. I am also furious with the SMALL number of people who have disregarded the ban and, quite simply, brought this upon the majority of law abiders who have managed to make it work. There are ways forward but it relies on people wanting to make it work and not saying āif we canāt do it the way we want to/always have done, we wonāt do it at allā. We all need to both put pressure on and help hunts to find a solution that works and is within the law.
Our local hunt was unable to take hounds out for a large chunk of autumn trails but organised autumn rides over the ground we would have run a trail over and pretty much every one was oversubscribed, bringing welcome funds at a time of year we donāt normally get a lot in. People just love to get out over country they donāt normally have access to and do something with their mates. The foot followers still followed but in addition to the social side was the fun of seeing who negotiated obstacles and with what degree of success š.
Most farmers and landowners are engaged with how much part of the rural communities the hunts are and if the hunts can justify that they are a necessity for rural well being there is hope that, with a will to succeed, they could continue.
As far as pointing goes it will also be down to people wanting it to continue and not wanting to, effectively,ācut off their nose to spite their faceā.
Pointing is evolving and the recent meetings at Lower Machen & Chaddesley are examples of the direction the sport is going in.
I think we all agree that the fixture list will continue to shrink and more reliant a smaller number of courses. I also believe that we will see more points at rules courses.... before covid the BHA approved the use of regulations fences for the points at Hereford racecourse and there were no issues.
Of course I would love to see a return to 200 meetings a season with 3,000 + horses but irrespective of any trail hunting ban that is not going to happen.
The PPA has been preparing for a trail hunting ban and I suspect the appointment of Paul Miller was to a degree influenced by the fact he had absolutely no connection with hunting.
The ban on trail,hunting isn't necessarily a show stopper as it will be incredibly difficult to frame any meaningful legislation that stops the current model which is already extremely difficult to enforce (unless stupid people allow themselves to be filmed breaking the law)
The bigger problems facing the 200 remaining British hunts are:
1 * Lack of money .... and the first thing that goes when funds are tight is the point to point unless it happens to be one of plum meetings that makes proper money.
2 * Loss of country ...... not just urban encroachment which has hit the once heartland of hunting in the Midlands but also a change in demographics and attitude with land owners.
I'm not anti hunting..... far from it ..... however I would like to think that I can stand back and take an objective view of where we are today.
Pointing can survive without hunting albeit in a slimmed down semi professional form. But that was where we have been heading anyway. We've already lost most of those charming once a year meetings run by the local hunts so if we want the sport to continue we have to get behind club initiatives which we shouldn't forget put all,the proceeds back into pointing š