30-07-2025
Country show bans two hunting packs after being ‘forced to face reality'
Two hunting packs have been banned from taking part in a country show after members were convicted of illegal fox hunting.
The Blackmore & Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt and Portman Hunt were due to participate in the hound parade at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show in Dorset, but organisers have confirmed that both have been banned.
Anti-fox hunting activists said they are 'delighted' that the county show organisers 'have been forced to face reality'.
The organisers of the Dorset show said the society's values had not changed but the decision was in response to recent criminal convictions.
Hunt master Tom Lyle and whipper-in Marcus Boundy, of the Portman Hunt, were found guilty of illegally hunting a fox last year and fined.
Conall McGrath, George Pierce, Andrew Osborne, and Freddie Osborne of the BSV Hunt were also convicted of illegal hunting after being captured on film hunting a fox with dogs.
Pip Donovan, chair and founder of Action Against Foxhunting (AAF), told the Blackmore Vale Magazine: 'We have been challenging the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show over its hound displays for several years.
'Throughout, we maintained that these hunts were breaking the law, but the show refused to acknowledge this.
'Now, with the recent convictions, the organisers have been forced to face reality. We are delighted that neither of these hunts will be displaying this year, and hope that they will never come back again.'
The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show, which has been running for 95 years, still has seven packs lined up to take part in the parade, with a mixture of foxhounds, beagles and bloodhounds.
In a statement, show organisers said: 'The society has a long history of celebrating rural life in all its forms, and the hound parade has traditionally been a part of that - offering a short 20-minute glimpse into a longstanding countryside tradition enjoyed by many of our visitors, including local farmers and families alike.
'Whilst there will remain a hound parade at this year's show, after careful consideration the society has asked that both the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt and the Portman Hunt do not participate in the 2025 hound parade.
'We understand that trail hunting remains a divisive issue. This decision does not reflect a shift in the society's values, nor id it a commentary on legal hunting activity.
'Rather it is a response to recent legal convictions and our responsibility to maintain the reputation and charitable aims of the show.'
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2005 following the implementation of the Hunting Act 2004.
Hunt groups have since taken part in 'trail' hunting, which replicates traditional hunts without chasing or killing a live animal, but activists feel hunts use this as a cover for fox hunting.
Groups of saboteurs regularly monitor hunts for illegal activity and report them to police if they witness anything.
