European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse The pick of hounds is rounded up before the Day s activity. Walden area is fairly gentle As Hurit country goes with i he rare Fence and perhaps three or four it Hes to he leaped in a Day. More often not to sex riders c an enjoy two or three pleasant gallops without having to jump it ill. I iowe\.er, sine e .1 Hunt usually lasts from 11 . Until around .1 to or 4 p.m., with no for lunch riders have to he quite fit to hold up to ill time in the Saddle. The Essex Hunts every wednesday and saturday and on alternate mondays from the beginning of november into april. Lane Padfield who Hunts with her Farmer husband Mike appears to to typical of those i encountered on the Hunt. Like Many people she Hunts for the pleasure of Riding with friends enjoying the Countryside and the thrill of a Good Gallop. I Don t really care in the Fox is caught or not. The whole thing makes for a delightful ride out in the Countryside. What people must realize is that when a Fox is cornered death is instantaneous. One nip in the neck by one hound not the whole pack is enough. It is done in a second she said. The Cost of keeping a Hunt going is formidable. Paul Dixey chairman of the l sex Hunt said his Hunt Cost 35,000 to 40,000 pounds about $50,000 to $57,000 annually to run. While the bulk of this comes from subscriptions and capping fees the amount charged non subscribers to take part for a Day Many thousands More come As gifts from supporters and from the fund raising activities of the Hunt s supporters Lub. Dixcy a former chairman of Lloyds of London also serves As a Public relations Man for the British Field sports society an organization that looks after the interests of Hunters shooters and fishermen. Dixey argues that Hunters Are not cruel thrill seekers but instead Are ridding the Countryside of a nuisance while at the same time making sure that its numbers stay High enough to ensure its survival. The Fox is classed by the ministry of agriculture As vermin because it kills lambs poultry pheasants and Partridge. The Farmers of this country Only tolerate the of because they know its numbers will be controlled by Fox Hunters. If we did not Hunt them the Farmers would exterminate them said Dixey. Everyone recognizes that the Fox has to be controlled. How do you do it the alternatives to Fox Hunting Are gassing poisoning trapping or shooting. Allol those Are Likely to cause much More suffering. Fox Hunting is one of the least cruel ways of doing it. Either the Fox gels away or gets killed instantly. People say that the pleasures of the Hunt Are immoral even though they know that the alternate measures for controlling the Fox arc More cruel. That s modern Day puritanism at its unlike most people s vision of a Fox Hunt a lot of the activity is very Low key. November 21, 1985 stripes nug Azine 77
