More than 800 supporters of the Essex Hunt gathered in defiance at the High Easter point-to-point race track on Saturday after hunting with hounds became illegal.

And a further 500 turned out to show their support at a meeting of the The Farmers and Union Hunt in West Hanningfield. Hunt master Mervyn Clarke said he was "staggered" by the numbers.

Both hunts said they abided by the law and would continue to do so until the law was changed.

According to the Countryside Alliance, one in every two hunts staged throughout the country last weekend killed a fox.

Joint Master of the Essex Hunt, Simon Marriage, from Good Easter, said the turnout was very pleasing. The 92 riders who gathered was more than double the usual number.

A small police presence was seen at various points of the hunt, and a small number of anti hunt protesters gathered at the starting point but were moved on by police. Mr Marriage said that no foxes were killed.

"We have instructed staff to try to stop hounds chasing foxes," he said.

He said that the Essex Hunt, which has been in existence since 1785, and has about 500 members, would abide by the law until "this unjust and unworkable law was repealed".

Addressing the large crowd at the Essex Hunt, Mr Marriage read out a letter on behalf of hunt supporter MP for Brentwood and Ongar, Eric Pickles, who said: "I find it repugnant that ordinary decent people should be classed as criminals."

Mr Marriage added: "Most MPs who voted against hunting didn't have the common decency to come to see us when they were invited."

The Farmers and Union Hunt master Mr Clarke, from Maldon, said he thought the ban had been motivated by class hatred "which is completely misguided".

"It is not an upper class pastime and has not been for many many years.

"This ban will not save the life of one single fox," he said.

Joint Master of the Essex Hunt, Chris Thorogood, said the ban would result in more foxes being killed.

He also argued that vixens with cubs will be more at risk: "Brooding vixens don't leave a scent, it's nature's way of protecting them. Now a vixen could be shot and the cubs will starve to death," he said.

Mr Thorogood said that the hunt season was virtually finished and vowed that they would continue again when the new season starts in September.

More than 300 East Essex Hunt supporters cheered and clapped in a pub car park in Blackmore End just after noon on Saturday as they heard the Government harangued for 10 minutes from horseback by the Master of the Hunt. Simon Fordham, angrily denounced the Government ban on hunting which had come into force the day before.

He stressed, to a cheering crowd, that the East Essex Hunt would be continuing "within the law".

For many, like Simon Hall, 39, a kennel huntsman from Barnston, the implications go further. He currently has 71 hounds but expects to have to destroy about one third of them or draft them to other parts of Europe or America.

"Drag hunting doesn't require as many hounds," he said.

"For me this ban is very upsetting.

"If this ban means the end of the hunt, then some people will lose a hobby. I will lose my livelihood and I can't even get compensation," he said.

A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports said they had about 100 monitors at various hunts throughout the country but did not want to reveal which hunts had been targeted.

"We want to know what they are really doing, not what their public perception is," he said.

"Overwhelmingly hunts abided by the law, which can only be a good thing instead of chasing animals round and round in circles."

Published Tuesday March 1, 2005

Brought to you by the Essex Chronicle