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2d ago

Boxing Day Hunts Draw Record Crowds as UK Stands By Trail Hunting Ban Plan

Defra says trail hunting is used as a cover for illegal fox hunting, citing the Batters Review.

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CHIDDINGSTONE CAUSEWAY, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Riders with horses and hounds take part in the Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent Hunt Boxing Day Meet on December 26, 2025 in Chiddingstone Causeway, England. The government has announced plans to follow-through on a manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting, as part of a package of animal welfare reforms. Traditional hound hunts of wild mammals were banned in England and Wales in the Hunting Act 2004, but the practice of trail hunting, which replicates a hound hunt by laying an animal scent trail, remains legal. Animal welfare activists have criticized the practice as an unregulated smokescreen for hunting wild animals, while hunting advocates say it benefits rural communities by boosting local economies. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Participants in the Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent Boxing Day hunt

Overview

  • Boxing Day meets reported surging turnouts, with Pershore described as the largest yet and Chipping Norton drawing hundreds.
  • The Duke of Beaufort’s hunt estimated about 6,000 followers on foot, up from roughly 4,000, while the Ledbury hunt put attendance near 4,000.
  • The government’s animal welfare strategy published just before Christmas includes a pledge to ban trail hunting, with Defra arguing it is often a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting.
  • Organisers insist their trail hunts comply with the law, invite MPs and police to observe, and promise to resist any ban.
  • Campaigners counter that crowds do not equal support, citing polling that 80% back keeping the foxhunting ban, while the Countryside Alliance accuses ministers of neglecting rural communities.