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Hope hasn't gone – but foxes may
Hunts across Yorkshire are in the final days of being able to pursue their sport legally, and for one the ban will bring an end to centuries of tradition. THERE won't be a dry eye in the yard when the Bilsdale hunt, which claims to be the oldest in the country, puts its hounds away on Thursday after what could be its last traditional hunt. Jane Charnley reports.
The North Yorkshire hunt, which chased its first fox in 1658, aims to put on a "jolly good day" for its 40 or so mounted members but is unsure how to proceed in the future.
It was formed by a Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers, whose escapades with women earned him such a reputation that he is believed to be the subject of the nursery rhyme "Georgy Porgy pudding and pie, Kissed the girls and made them cry..."
Based at Helmsley Castle, the playboy Duke became obsessed with fox hunting, was famed for his hounds and is believed to have died from a chill caught while hunting.
Perhaps in keeping with the tone of its heritage, today's Bilsdale hunt insists that despite its age it is not a stuffy organisation.
"We're a very friendly, laid-back hunt with nothing toffee-nosed about us at all," says recently-promoted joint hunt master Judith Skilbeck, also whipper-in.
"There are no top hats and we're very ordinary people."
Mrs Skilbeck, who grew up with the Glaisdale hunt, near Whitby, said Bilsdale was not expensive either, with an annual subscription of 250 and each meet costing 5. Riders need to sort out their own horse.
Bilsdale, which usually meets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, has arranged a one-off meet this Thursday. Because of the hunt's historic background the event has attracted interest from around the world and will be covered by, among others, the Washington Post, which is sending a reporter to take part.
"We thought we'd get one last one in," said Mrs Skilbeck. "We haven't thought of anything particular to do but it's going to be a very emotional day. Putting the hounds away is going to be hard. I'm sure there'll be tears."
Although there are no plans yet for reducing its pack of 50 or so hounds, which carry blood lines dating back several generations, the breeding programme has been cut.
When the ban goes through, Bilsdale has decided to spend the rest of this season toeing the line by exercising and trail hunting its hounds.
"We are a small hunt. We don't have a lot of wealthy people who will be able to fight their corner if they land in trouble.
"We think it's important to leave other people to test the law and it's for us to survive," she said. "We'll behave in a legal fashion, laying trails and doing hound exercises."
But it won't be easy to call the dogs off, she said.
"These hounds don't know anything else. It seems terribly sad after all these years of training to keep saying 'no' to them.
"But it's important to hold the infrastructure together and look after the hounds, landowners and huntsmen so we can come out the other side. I'm a great believer that things that are right will eventually shine through."
Next season the hunt may consider "flushing to gun" – using two hounds to draw out a fox which will then be shot. But Mrs Skilbeck said this could leave animals injured and blamed hunt protesters for "Bambi-ism" and not understanding the consequences of the ban.
"The only reason any foxes are left here is because we hunt. I don't know how to get people to understand that gamekeepers won't leave any. We love the hounds and we love the foxes as well. To see them go from the countryside is going to be so unbelievably appalling. I find it terribly upsetting.
"And every single thing we do has a knock-on effect. Without foxes the rabbit pop-ulation will grow immensely. What will they do – introduce myxomatosis again?"
The joint master – the first female to head the hunt – likens the arrival of the law forbidding her life-long pass-ion to the recent death of a hunter. "We had a week of horrible anticipation while we waited for him to die. While it is happening you are filled with a mixture of anger, sadness and hope.
"The hope hasn't gone and you very much want to fight your way through."
So on Saturday "we will have a jolly good day. It won't be so much like hunting, but we will try.
"It's very important that we leave the people who pay the money into the hunt feeling as though it was worth going. We desperately need them to come back with their horses in September. Without them the funding dries up.
"So it's very important to put on brave, shiny faces and ensure they have a good time, even though we might not feel like it."
The spirit of determination will continue until the end of the season, April 2, when Bilsdale will hold a champ-agne breakfast and a gallop.
jane.charnley@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
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