HSA News

Sheffield Hunt Sabs have been focusing their efforts on the Grove & Rufford Hunt for four seasons now, and the pressure is obviously piling up.

They’ve been through four huntsmen in that time: Paul Larby leaving in disgrace after being caught shagging someone he shouldn’t in the hound van, the next, Gary Joynes, was a stand in gardener who didn’t know his horn from his whip, followed by an unmemorable Ben Higgins, and most recently a Tom Haddock.

Their mastership is also in disarray, with clear divisions in the hunt, a shortage of whips, and not many field riders with them either. When the only thing you can rely on is the sabs turning up each week, we can see why tempers are running high within the hunt, and the frustration is mounting.

Last Saturday, the Brecon-based Sennybridge Farmers Hunt caught and killed a female fox. Foot sabs rushed into the field but were too far away to stop the kill – it was very sudden.

Sabs had pulled over to allow vehicles to pass and then saw the hounds hunting south along Fforest Fach, west of Defynnog. Suddenly, there was a fox in the field and hounds were on her straight away. Foot sabs raced towards them but sadly the fox was already dead by the time they got there.

In the last few weeks hunt sabs have been particularly active against beagle and basset packs engaged in illegal hare hunting.

The De Burgh & North Essex Bassets – one of just six remaining basset packs – have been hit on three Saturdays in a row. On each occasion, the hunters put the hounds on leads as soon as sabs were spotted on the horizon. Also in the last couple of weeks, the Severn Vale Beagles and the Royal Agricultural College Beagles both scuttled back to their meets when confronted by Severn Vale Hunt Sabs.

Eleven months since the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act of 2023 became law, Glasgow Hunt Sabs are pleased to report the demise of another Scottish fox hunt. The Liddesdale Foxhounds – who were kennelled in the Scottish Borders – follow in the footsteps of both the Fife Foxhounds and the Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Hunt in going under.

On Monday December 2nd, a court in Greenland extended Paul Watson’s detention until December 18th, whilst the Danish Ministry of Justice decided whether to extradite him to Japan.

Yesterday, Tuesday 3rd December, South Shropshire Hunt terrierman David Conde pleaded guilty at Telford Magistrates Court to interfering with a badger sett.

Conde was caught in January 2024 on hidden cameras in woodland west of Shrewsbury, blocking badger sett entrances with a spade just ahead of a visit by the South Shropshire Hunt.

Today, three members of the hunt – William Hand,Toby Holly and David Conde – appeared in Telford Magistrates Court to answer the charges. Conde pleaded guilty to the offence, and will be sentenced on the 29th January next year. The other two men pleaded not guilty, and their cases will go to trial on the 12th June next year.

When West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs arrived at a Dummer Beagles meet in Great Wolford, Warwickshire, they launched their drone to assist the foot team in locating the hunt.

However, not realising the drone was above them, the Dummer Beagles carried on hunting with huntsman Stephen Duckmanton casting the beagles out across a field in the hope of finding the scent of a hare. It wasn’t long before a hare was put up. In the footage A hare waits until the last second before quickly putting a field between itself and the chasing pack of beagles.

Here at the HSA, we have a bit of an aversion to men in red coats. However, we are prepared to make an exception for

Yesterday we heard of the passing of former Labour deputy leader and anti-hunt campaigner John Prescott. The former deputy Prime Minister was one of the

The HSA fights on many fronts and, while we have been focussing on hunt opening meets in recent weeks, we don’t forget the injustices taking place elsewhere. With this in mind, moorland campaigner and author Bob Berzins considers the parlous state of Britain’s uplands – and how we got here. 

Following tonight’s shocking ITV News exposé, West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs sent the following report:

Like all hunts, the Warwickshire Hunt causes misery to local communities and our wildlife – and we are the only line of defence for foxes in Warwickshire.

On Monday 11th November, Ryan Brennan – terrierman at the Wrexham-based Sir Watkins Williams-Wynn (aka Wynnstay) Hunt – pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett. The offences, which took place in January of this year, were captured in a covert surveillance operation.

Kidderminster Magistrates Court branded Brennan’s offences as “serious” and handed him a 10-week prison sentence (suspended for 12 months), a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. Brennan must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.