The disgusting video of the Avon Vale Hunt throwing and bolting foxes to a pack of hounds has rocked the hunting world.
Even the extremist British Hound Sports Association – the new name for the disgraced Hunting Office – have barred the Avon Vale from their ranks.
The BHSA claim to have taken quick, decisive action with this move. But, with the video confirmed as having been taken on Tuesday 20th December 2022, questions are already being asked as to how long the BHSA have been aware of its existence.
Indeed, the HSA has received intelligence that, far from acting quickly and openly, individuals at the very top of hunting have been trying to supress the Avon Vale video for weeks. Intriguingly, the person who shot it – Harry Mayo, sole whipper-in for the neighbouring Berkeley Hunt – was being moved on over two weeks ago. An advert for Mayo’s role appeared on the ‘Jobs’ section of the BHSA’s website on 27th January 2023, suggesting panicked moves behind the scenes to drop him before the video emerged.
The HSA is aware that similar videos are circulating on hunting WhatsApp groups, including one involving a senior figure from the BHSA itself, whose behaviour in a northern hunting field ‘borders’ on the obscene.
We urge anyone in possession of this video – or any other such material – to send it to the HSA. We regularly receive intelligence from within hunting and guarantee 100% confidentially to all sources – no matter what side of the hunting fence you sit on.
Please send any footage to info@huntsabs.org.uk, for larger files you can use the secure file transfer website wetransfer.
EDIT: Less than 24 hours after this posting, we note the BHSA have removed the Berkeley advert from their ‘Jobs’ listing. This only heightens our suspicions that those at the top of hunting are involved in a cover-up around the Avon Vale video.
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