Fox hunting to hounds, as a formalised activity, originated in England in the sixteenth century, in a form very similar to that practised until February 2005, when a law banning the activity in England and Wales came into force. A ban on hunting in Scotland had been passed in 2002, but it continues to be within the law in Northern Ireland.
Fox hunting has inspired many painters and graphic artists over more than one century.
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| Full Cry by Charles Bentley |
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| York and Ainstey, engraved by C G Lewis after a picture by Thomas Slingsby. |
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| The Finest View in Europe by Snaffles |
Hunting is now reduced to drag hunting, where the riders hunt along the trail of an artificially laid scent with a pack of hounds. It is performed in a similar manner as fox hunting used to be. A drag hunt course is set in a similar manner to a cross country course, following a predetermined route over jumps and obstacles.
The sport is controversial, particularly in the UK. Proponents of fox hunting view it as an important part of rural culture, and useful for reasons of conservation and pest control, while opponents argue that it is cruel and unnecessary.
Oscar Wilde, in his play A Woman of No Importance (1893), once famously described "the English country gentleman galloping after a fox" as "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable." The revered Oscar was, for once, wrong. The fox IS edible and, so I'm told, not bad at all.
I am an avid supporter of fox hunting for several reasons, but I won't get into that here, though I'll gladly answer questions, should there be any.
Boxing Day, the 26th of December, is the apex and highlight of the hunting season. Nuff said. I just want you to enjoy the following photos and maybe answer the question which child is cutest.
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| Yes, it IS "he"! |
