Continuing to concentrate on the East Kent Foxhounds, van problems messed up one late cubbing meet, which resulted in our driver finding himself stuck in a field with a van that wouldn't start and all the terrier men! Strangely, after many threats they decided to help and got the van started. Much different tactics from when they used to unscrew the nuts holding on our wheels etc! They are rather old though . . .!
The opening meet drew out around 60 riders, most of whom couldn't really ride horses, let alone jump, and the day was spent watching the huntsman zoom from wood to wood, followed by his field - a total change from his tactic of drawing the same wood endlessly, and one that resulted in hounds barely having chance to get on to a scent - still, the hounds are still being very responsive to horn and gizmo and no more obvious kills have been witnessed. A photographer (Horse and Hound?) was very upset and became very aggressive to one sab, threatening and assaulting him, just because he kept getting in the way of his attempts to take photos of the hunt leaving the meet - acidnetally, of course!
The next week saw proper hunting, but with appalling scenting conditions they still managed to chop two foxes, almost in front of sabs present. Attempts by sabs to get to the foxes' remains were met by violence from the hunt, particularly from one of the masters, who still sees himself as the hunt's one-man security service. Sabs showed remarkable restraint and, in front of jeering supporters, waded a river and managed to photograph one of the carcasses - the other fox had literally been torn to pieces, so one sab returned the entrails to the no longer jeering supporters. Later in the day the hounds got on to a fox but sabs intervened andx that one escaped with its life.
The Saturday after the vote saw sabs at the Wye Beagles' kennels. On arrival the beaglers swiftly holed up in the kennels and, an hour later, the police arrived - all 10 of them - and perfectly blocked us in and enacted a Section 60aa throughout Kent, apparently for "our safety". Thanks, guys - worth noting, though, that the police seem to be pretending the East Kent don't exist ut, when the Beaglers click their fingers the police are always there at their beck and call. When the hunt had left, so did the police - job done. Sabs went on to find the West Street/Tickham hunting nearby in a huge strip of woodland, but another sab had found the Beagles for us - when we arrived they were just leaving the meet, an hour and a half late, amnd immediately lost their tempers and, with lots of pushing and shoving, their 10 (!) supporters (ranging from the age of 10 to about 100, and now featuring a chap who I believe was Jeepers Creepers, but not as scary), watched as we split their pack and took them for a run across the marsh. An hour later they attempted to pack up so we took the other half of the pack back the other way, leaving the teenage hunt staff (one definitely aged under 10 and only half in any kind of uniform - very tatty!) breathlessly near tears. All was watched by the police, who couldn't be bothered to leave their vans but gave our driver the usual shit all day for their own personal amusement. Oh, and the landowner is going to sue us for damage to his property - he apparently has 10 witnesses.
The next week saw the police "protecting" us again by slapping a prohibition order on our van, allowing the East Kent to carry on unhindered. Due to this, whilst the van received its second MOT in 4 months, some of our group travelled over to a large hit on the Old Surrey and Burstow, whose violent terrier men weren't quite as brave when outnumbered.
Back with the East Kent, the next two meets saw the hunt hiding out in giant woods and other inaccessible terrain, with very little intervention from sabs - of course, when we rated hounds off a scent a redcoat came very close to galloping over a 60 year old female sab, followed by another riding over to apologise! Total continuity as always.
The police response to the ban has been to come out in far larger numbers and start total surveillance of the group . . . and, of course, help the hunt to carry on as normal. Boxing Day saw the expected large group of supporters, one brave chap was masked up and tried to provoke a fight but none of the other hundred or so supporters could be bothered. The redcoats, fo course, responded to our sabbing by riding at us as is now usual - but, of course, out of view of the 5 assorted van loads of coppers. New Year's Eve saw the ex-whipper-in hunting the hounds - well, for a short while at least before sabs removed them from under his nose in a very successful day.
The next week saw an attempt by police to ambush sabs right by the meet where, exactly a year ago, the police pulled the same trick, de-masking sabs in front of the hunt. This year we approached with caution and beat a swift retreat when it was obvious what was afoot - sorry, guys, we have long memories! The day was a pony club meet and, with a half-hearted hunt, circling a small area and packing up early, left us exhausted after an all-day trek - but happy as the hunt did not continue with a dig out after sabs were seen to be present when an early fox was run to ground. Our van was stationed at the site and regular checks showed that the terrier men decided to give this kill up.