THERE was huge public support for hunting when hundreds of people turned out to cheer on the Eggesford Hunt at its traditional Boxing Day meets.

On Saturday, December 26 the hunt met at Oaklands, Okehampton and on December 29 at the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel, Eggesford.

More than 50 attended the Eggesford meet on horseback, where they enjoyed a stirrup cup and refreshments courtesy of the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel.

One of the joint-masters, Graham Holmes, gave a speech during the meet where he thanked the hosts and also wished all present a Happy New Year.

There were more than 100 foot followers at the 11am Eggesford meet, after which the hunt left for trail hunting in the surrounding countryside.

More than a quarter of a million people were said to have lined the streets and market places of the UK on December 26 for the Boxing Day meets of the 300 plus registered hunts in the UK, said the Countryside Alliance.

It said the annual spectacle is an opportunity for hunts to thank all those who support them, from the farmers and landowners over whose land they ride, to their subscribers and the public, whose enthusiasm for hunting shows no signs of waning, despite more than a decade of the Hunting Act.

Alan Quick