|
|
|
|
Garth and South Berks finished off! Anyone for a round of Golf?1 January 2001 The Garth and South Berks Hunt has called it a day!! Rumours reached SABS in the autumn that the troubled pack of foxhounds was going to merge with neighbouring hunt, Vale of Aylesbury. However, the rumours were not officially confirmed until a piece appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 29 December 2001. In the article, Joint Master and huntsman Peter Swann attempted some "damage limitation" by claiming that the cause of the closure was not persistent concentration by hunt saboteurs, but was caused by "things like golf courses". This is, like the state of the Garth, laughable! Members and supporters of the Garth hunt own large farms and estates, and there is plenty of territory for the hunt to practice their cruel pastime. It is not a case of there being too little land available, it is more a case of the hunt being ineffective on that land due to the actions of hunt saboteurs. 25 years ago, sabs occasionally attended the Garth with more attention being paid to Mr Goschen's Hounds in Hampshire - a hunt which disbanded following that attention. In the last ten years, sabs have stepped up a gear, and in the last five years sabbing of the Garth has been relentless. Persistent sabbing of the Garth has seen the pack struggle to elude saboteurs, covering ground very quickly, resulting in less foxes being found. When foxes have been chased, the actions of sabs have halted the chase before the hunted animal has been caught. For followers of the hunt, there has been very little to watch! Numbers of supporters have dropped to embarassing levels, and this has drastically reduced the hunt's income. Peter Swann claimed in the article that protestors "have never been anything more than a minor irritation." If this were the case, why have so many police resources been deployed to prevent saboteurs saving foxes? One occasion saw a mobilisation of approximately 60 officers in response to the arrival of 3 saboteurs. Why did the Garth attempt to give sabs the slip by no longer hunting on Saturdays? Why have they ceased to advertise their meets in the hope of avoiding sabs' attention? The case of the Garth shows that far from being a minor irritation, sabs stop the killing on the day, and persistent sabbing can affect the long term killing power of a hunt. For further info on the demise of the Garth, check earlier news items |
| Direct Action Against Bloodsports - contact us Southern Anti Bloodsports Society |
