BOXING DAY 2004 When huntsman John Goode
paraded hounds down the racecourse the cheers fairly
drowned the sound of his horn, and hats were thrown into
the air. The Brocklesby hounds are among the country's
finest, being the purest pack of Old English Foxhounds in
the country. John, who cares for the Earl of Yarborough's
pack explained, "They are bred to hunt, it is their job ,
and their life even more than mine. It's as simple as
that. They are all individuals, who work as a team, and
no man could wish for better friends." Those present on Monday
were left in no doubt that the determination to keep this
part of rural Britain together is now greater than ever.
Lord Yarborough was present with his children, and echoed
the passionate beliefs felt by so many, "Of course there
is anger. This is part of our heritage. You cannot simply
erase history." Click on the thumbnails
to see larger images.
The people of
Lincolnshire made their feelings about hunting very clear
at Monday's Boxing Day Meet with a record turnout at the
Brocklesby Point-to-Point course. The traditional
gathering is always popular, but crowds exceeded all
expectations. Despite a biting wind, cars queued as far
as the eye could see, and the crowd soon swelled to
around 2,000 people - young and old, from every walk of
life. Ironically, two nights' hard frost meant that no
actual hunting could take place due to the dangerous
state of the ground. For these people just being there
was all that mattered , and nothing could have mattered
more.
Photographs © David Neve 2004
