THE QUORN HUNT

Submission for the Burns Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs

The Quorn Hunt was founded in 1696, by Mr. Thomas Boothby of Tooley Park, Leicestershire although hunting the fox had taken place on a more informal basis prior to that date. The Hunt takes it's name from the village of Quorn, where the hounds were kennelled from 1753 until 1904.
The Quorn is perhaps the most famous hunt in Great Britain, and it is known far outside the work of foxhunting. In the mind of the general public hunting, and in particular the Quorn, is considered an elitist activity. This is far from the truth because foxhunting does and always has, embraced people from all walks of life.
The area covered by the Quorn stretches roughly from a few miles south of Nottingham in the north, to the Leicester City boundary, in the south and from Ashby de la Zouch in the west to Melton Mowbray in the east. However with the River Soar, a main railway and now a motorway, and with an increasing, urban sprawl along that route, there is a large tract of country running through the middle where hunting is not possible.
The terrain of the Quorn varies widely from the rolling open country on the eastern side, to the heavily wooded stone wall uplands of Charnwood Forest; the end of the Pennine Chain.
At present hunting takes place throughout the autumn and winter months, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, although due to the increasing urban sprawl, new roads and pressure on the countryside, hunting, on three days a week only is being considered.
Due to the open rolling, nature of the country hunted on Mondays and Fridays, these are the most popular days, attracting between a 100 and 15(1 mounted followers on each day, and double that number in motor cars, on bicycles and on foot. On Tuesdays there are usually 30 mounted followers, while Saturdays average 70 riders. Most people who hunt on Mondays and Fridays are those who hunt to ride. rather than the converse. The thrill of riding a pack of hounds, on a good horse on Quorn Monday or Friday cannot be surpassed One of the great joys, and charms of foxhunting is its uncertainty, which cannot be substituted by drag hunting.
There are some 804 farmers in the Quorn Country. who allow the hunt over their land regularly, and without their active co-operation hunting could not continue Most of them regard the hunt very much as their "property". and way of life. There are some 5 landowners who do not allow the mounted followers over their land, but none who deny hounds access.
In Leicestershire as elsewhere, most farmers consider that hunting with hounds as the most humane way of controlling the fox population, and traditionally they look to the Quorn Hunt to exercise that control on their land to keep a proper balance of all living creatures in the countryside. However, with the increasing popularity of reared game bird .shooting, more foxes are being killed than previous1y by those running such shoots, using, other methods than hunting, such as shooting, and snaring, which can upset the delicate balance of nature in the countryside.
The Quorn Hunt is organised along traditional lines of a hunt. There is a committee of 20 landowners, farmers and subscribers. A smal1er sub committee of 5 or 6 people deal with the detailed financial affairs of the hunt. The primary function of the committee is to raise the funds necessary for running the hunt and appoint the Master or Masters, and there are currently 5. The appointment should be made by the 1^st February to take effect from the 1^st May, until the following 30^th April.
It costs in the region of £260,000 a year to finance the hunt. This sum is primarily raised through subscriptions, and what. are known as "Caps", the daily fee paid by non subscribers; other income is derived, from fund raising and social activities, including: Hunt Balls, a Point to Point Race meeting, Prize Draws and Raffles.
The Subscription Rules are drawn up by the Committee, and these vary between £400 and £1000 per season, per person, depending on the day of the week selected to hunt, and individual peoples personal circumstances.
The Hunt employs 7 full time employees. Apart from those directly employed, the hunt requires services of veterinary surgeons, farriers, tailors, saddlers and boot: makers. In addition many other grooms and stable staff are employed by individual subscribers.
Currently the Quorn has some 260 subscribers, and a Supporters Club of just over 800 members.
There are 64 ½ couple of hounds kept at the new kennels built in 1990 at Kirby Bollars 12 horses are kept for the Huntsman and Whipper-in.
A fallen stock scheme is operated by the Hunt, on a limited basis. to the benefit of the local farmers, as there are now few ''knacker men".
A full time fencing repair man is employed, who on. a days hunting, follows in a four wheeled vehicle, and makes good any damage to fences or gates. He also builds jumping places, bridges and hangs gates Throughout the year, and in the autumn. with, the farmers approval takes down stretches of barbed wire, which is put back in the spring.
The Quorn Hunt owns 20 woods amounting to, some 300 acres. These woods are managed in the traditional ways of woodland management to produce new trees, and provide a secure habitat for all types of wildlife, flora and fauna.
There is no doubt that much of the physical attraction of the British countryside we see today is in no, small measure due to the int1ueuce of 'foxhunting landowners of past generations, and that continues to, the present day.
The Hunt organises an annual Hedgecutting Competition, held in November, where competitors come from all over England.
The Hunt organises a number of social functions throughout the year including Dances Point to Point, Terrier Show, Skittles and Cricket Matches, and Farmers Suppers The highlight of the summer is the Puppy Show, held at the Kennels where the Masters are able to entertain not only the Puppy walkers, but loca1 dignitaries and farmers.

(Hound puppies when they are about 12 weeks old go to local farms, where they are kept in a home environment to grow up, and are returned to the Kennels about six months later).

Jonathan Inglesant.

16^th February, 2000.

Date uploaded to site 30 May 2000