In 2023, the UN released General Comment No. 26. This document updates the famous UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It explicitly states children must be kept safe from witnessing violence, including physical or psychological harm inflicted on animals. Yet every week across the UK children are taken out to participate in hunting, where they will be exposed to horrific levels of animal cruelty.
On Boxing Day 2020 the Avon Vale Hunt were filmed digging out a fox and throwing her to waiting hounds. Tom Ledbury, the terrierman for this hunt, was sentenced to a 12-month community order for his role in this sickening act. Something equally horrifying is how a small child was present throughout the dig out.
Recent HSA articles have exposed the extent of indoctrination of children into the world of hunting. One of the most recent exposes is the Stowe Beagles recent conviction for killing a hare. Kennel huntsman Philip Kennedy was convicted for the offence but drone footage shows students from Stowe School gloating and celebrating while the hare is mauled by hounds.
In November 2025 Lake District Hunt Sabs caught the horrifying moment the Coniston Foxhounds dug out a fox with the use of a terrier, and carried her to waiting hounds. What is apparent from the footage is how co-ordinated the dig out was, a clear indication that this is a regular occurrence. What is also evident are the ages of some of the participants. While older members of the group are participating in the dig out, younger members are watching closely, enthusiastically waiting to get involved, with one of them being handed the terrified fox who he then carries and throws to hounds.
As we know, animal cruelty is just one part of a hunt, there is much more anti-social behaviour and illegal activity that comes with it and this doesn’t stop just because a hunt is professing to have a children’s meet.
In February this year West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs reported of road chaos and violence at a Warwickshire Hunt children’s meet. While hunting in Little Kineton gamekeeper Michael Collins physically assaulted a saboteur. This was followed by hunt master Olivia Forsyth purposely blocking the busy B4455 while she ranted and raved, before eventually being moved on by police.
It’s not just fox and hare hunting that indoctrinates children; they are exposed to animal cruelty at all blood sports. Just this weekend, at the Dove Valley Mink Hounds, children as young as 11 were present, with one as young as 14 carrying a T-bar and a shovel, ready and waiting to participate in the tormenting of mink and otters.
As the UN states, children should be kept safe from witnessing all forms of violence, including that inflicted upon animals. What the above examples show are that children are not only witnessing this violence, they are active participants from a very young age, being taught that this is acceptable and being encouraged to be complicit in breaking the law.
The problem is the adults teaching them were subject to the same indoctrination and so a cycle has been formed. A cycle of barbaric violence and law breaking which is dressed up as ‘tradition.’ There are some things that should not be passed onto children and blood sports is one of them.
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