Nearly a hundred years old, the Two Bridges Hunt Club annual meet on Dartmoor would once have been a prestigious event in the fox hunting calendar. Originally formed by the hunting men of the Royal Navy, with the naval city of Plymouth and Britannia Royal Naval College for officers nearby, there would have been no shortage of ‘gentlemen’ keen to attend.
It brings together all four of the true Dartmoor Hunts at the centre of their respective countries for a boozy supper and a spot of fox hunting the next day. Established between the wars to commemorate a hunting event at Prince Hall by the then Prince of Wales, these days the meet symbolises the anniversary of the enactment of the Hunting Act 2005 and for the local hunting community is an act of defiance.
There is a historical limit on the number of riders allowed to take part from Dartmoor Hunt, South Devon Hunt, Mid Devon Hunt, and Spooners & West Dartmoor Hunt. It is capped at 100, and places would have once been highly coveted. Now all four hunts struggle to produce even forty riders on the day and Two Bridges Hotel and Prince Hall have been lost to them due to public outrage. These days the events take place at the less salubrious East Dart Inn at Postbridge. Nowadays, those attending (particularly the hunt staff and masters) are less Rear-Admirals and Commanders, more grifters and local organised criminals.
And of course, they get sabbed heavily every year. It’s fair to say that Two Bridges Hunt Club ain’t what it used to be.
This Wednesday was no different. Sabs from Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs, Devon County Hunt Sabs, Wiltshire Hunt Sabs, and Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch turned up at the meet to spoil their fun. It was fantastic to see at the meet a very courageous young person who, when they realised what was taking place in their community, wrote a makeshift sign that said, “Tradition Does Not Make it OK” and went outside to bravely stand alone amongst the numerous followers at the meet. It wasn’t planned, they simply felt that they had to stand up and speak out about what was going on. When sabs arrived to give them some support, they were doing very nicely debunking the rural mythology with ecology and science. Whoever you were, we salute you.
As it was the turn of Spooners to hunt the hounds this year, their wet behind the ears, rookie huntsman Sam Kelly led the hounds and field up onto the moor at Hollocombe Bottom. Many of us know this area well, as it is heavily hunted every season so sabs were already waiting. Numerous other teams entered the moor between Postbridge and the ancient Wistmans wood and prepared to protect the local fox population.
The weather was horrendous and the ground under the horses hooves was saturated and dangerous. Initially Kelly tried to run deep into the centre of the moor, far away from his vehicle support, but mist and conditions prevented it and he was soon hunting back towards the B3212. Hounds were in and out of cry at various stages during the day and known badger setts were monitored by the foot teams in case of foxes going to ground. Sabs kept on the hunt well considering the conditions and after a few intense hours he was back to hunting the trip of moorland between Powder Mills and Two Bridges. Between there hounds bolted a fox that crossed the B3212 and the Devon County vehicle team had to rush into action to cover its scent.
Sab teams would have stayed out there as long as possible in gruelling conditions to keep the foxes safe but thankfully at 2.30pm Kelly threw his hat in and the whole field and pack traipsed back from Cherry Brook, along the B3212 causing the usual traffic mayhem. After seeing them boxed up a soggy but cheery bunch of sabs celebrated and decompressed with the inevitable vegan cakes.
Thank you to Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs for this article and images.
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