On Saturday two hare-hunting beagle packs linked to educational institutions were stopped by hunt saboteurs.
In Northamptonshire, the seldom seen Stowe Beagles (part of the prestigious boarding school of the same name) were packed up by Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs.
And in Gloucestershire, the often sabbed Royal Agricultural College Beagles (linked to the Royal Agricultural University) were stopped by Severn Vale Hunt Sabs.
The latter was an early morning leveret hunting meet, with new hounds trained to hunt young hares (leverets) before the start of their main hunting season in a few weeks.
Young entry
Neither of these packs are exceptional, a number of exclusive private schools, colleges and universities have beagle hunts offered as part of their extra curricular activities for students.
As well as the aforementioned, these include the Eton, Ampleforth, Radley and Marlborough colleges, and the Oxford and Cambridge University colleges of Christ Church and Trinity.
Students, some only of secondary school age, hunt the hounds or take positions on the mastership of hunts, usually with the school or college employing an adult kennelman to look after hounds and drive the hound van.
These school and college packs not only serve as an entry into the upper echelons of the hunting world, but also into the upper echelons of Government and British ‘high society.’
As a Horse and Hound article in 2021 stated:
“The Stowe and Royal Agricultural College Beagles have produced the greatest number of masters and huntsmen of foxhounds over the past 50 years, whose alumni include a current cabinet minister.”
Institutional illegality
In recent years, some of these institutions have tried to distance their links to their beagle packs (at least publicly), aware of the public opposition to hunting with hounds, and the increased attention that Hunt Sabs have paid them in recent years. But scratch beneath the surface and these links are as strong as ever, as is their illegal hunting of hares.
In 2013, the Eton College Beagles hosted an event they called ‘Young Hare Hunters Day’ on school premises. The RAC Beagles have been filmed illegally hunting and engaging in thuggish behaviour against sabs and wild animals in recent years, and in 2013 their student huntswoman evaded an illegal hunting charge by fleeing to the USA.
And a number of these packs still travel to remote areas of Northumberland and the Scottish Borders – traditional haunts for hare hunters wanting to avoid prying eyes of sabs, the public and the police – for annual pre-season hunting trips.
A Hunt Saboteurs Association spokesperson said:
“These schools pride themselves on raising ‘future leaders’ of the country – so it’s of little surprise to see that cruelty and contempt for the law rank so highly on the curriculum.”
“Far from moulding these young people into well rounded adults, ready to contribute to the betterment of society, they are promoting and facilitating illegality and animal abuse.”
“That fact that they can get away with this – some while receiving public money – is beyond a joke. It’s time these packs were shut down for good.”
You can donate to help cover the costs of the groups active against the student hare hunters on Saturday.
Severn Vale Hunt Sabs
Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs