H&H’s hunting columnist calls for celebration not ridicule of the hunting community
Sohpia Peel with godson Richard Gurney behind ride out with the field Let’s get one thing straight from the outset. I am fully aware that millions of people are suffering globally throughout this wretched period. But Horse & Hound asks me to write about the hunting community, and not for the first time am I becoming increasingly angry at the way that community is being portrayed by some sections of the media in this country.
The Government’s decision to exempt trail-hunting and shooting – along with many other outdoor sports – from the “rule of six” led to the inevitable onslaught from certain parts of the press. They couldn’t believe their luck: “Toffs can go out on Boxing Day, but you can’t have your family round on Christmas Day.”
{"content":"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"}