Atherstone Hunt

The Atherstone Hunt is a United Kingdom foxhound pack,[1] with hunting country of around 400 square miles (1,000 km2) within Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.[1][2][3]

History

The Atherstone was established in 1815 in Witherley, and known as the Atherstone hounds.[1] Between 1930 and 1950 the hunt was divided in to North and South countries, but these were then reunited.[1][4]

Although "hunting wild mammals with a dog" was made unlawful in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004, which came into effect in 2005,[5] a number of exemptions stated in Schedule 1 of the 2004 Act permit some previously unusual forms of hunting wild mammals with dogs to continue, such as "hunting... for the purpose of enabling a bird of prey to hunt the wild mammal".[6] The Atherstone seeks to hunt within the law.

Country

The hunt country lies within Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire,[1] with major centres including Atherstone, Nuneaton, Coventry and Rugby. It adjoins the country of the Quorn.

Point-to-point

The hunt hosts its annual point-to-point event at Clifton-upon-Dunsmore,[7][8] with proceeds going to local charities, such as the regional air ambulance.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Atherstone Hunt". Master of Foxhounds Association. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  2. ↑ "Hunting countries of UK and Ireland". BBC News. 1999-09-16.
  3. ↑ "Hunt History". Atherstone Hunt.
  4. ↑ "Written evidence: Atherstone Hunt". Burns Inquiry.
  5. ↑ Hunting Act 2004, text online at opsi.gov.uk
  6. ↑ Stephen Moss, The banned rode on: Eighteen months ago hunting was banned. Or was it? from The Guardian dated 7 November 2006, at guardian.co.uk, accessed 29 April 2013
  7. ↑ Taylor, Graham. "Atherstone 2009". Jumping 4 Fun.
  8. ↑ "Atherstone Point to Point". pointtopoint.co.uk.
  9. ↑ "Hunt supports air ambulance". Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance. 2009-07-01.