Crowds gather for traditional Boxing Day hunt meets

In Great Ayton, a huge crowd turned out to see the Cleveland Hunt on High Green. The traditional stirrup cup was served from the Royal Oak Hotel to those following the hounds.

Huntsman Kieran Lear led the field of more than 40 mounted riders to the sound of the traditional hunting horn.

Cleveland Hunt at Great Ayton on Boxing Day, by John Fletcher

In Ryedale, 33 hounds from the Middleton Hunt visted The Abbey residential care home in Old Malton, as part of the Boxing Day meet.

Staff and residents of The Abbey residential home in Old Malton, North Yorkshire, enjoying a visit from the hounds and huntsmen of the Middleton Hunt, in a tradition dating back over 30 years. Image: BHSA

On its whistle-stop tour, the hunt also visited The Lodge Hotel, Ashfield Care Home, The Royal Oak and The Wentworth.

Ann Race, manager of The Abbey, said: "The residents absolutely love seeing the hounds and look forward to it each year.

"Almost all of us are either from a farming background or keen on equestrian sports and it is something that brings everyone together on Boxing Day.

"The Master of the Middleton Hunt reads a hunting poem, and some of our residents were able to feed the horses and have a go at blowing the Hunt Horn. It is a wonderful occasion."

Prior to Boxing Day, the Labour Party was warned to end its “running attack” on rural communities by campaign group the Countryside Alliance.

The Boxing Day hunt meet in Northallerton, by Tara Morris

Sir Keir Starmer’s party, which is widely tipped to win the next general election, has in the past called for “loopholes” in hunting legislation to be closed.

Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales following the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004, which came into force a year later.

Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner called on Labour not to bring forward further legislation but instead to “right the wrongs of the past” and end its “running attack on rural communities”.

He said: “Keir Starmer rightly talks about a future Labour government having respect for rural communities, but that needs to be more than just a catchphrase.

“Rural communities need to see action and that means working with them to better the countryside, rather than attacking those who live and work in it.”

The Boxing Day hunt meet at Bedale, by Chris Pickup

But Labour’s shadow environment secretary Steve Reed insisted his party would “give our countryside its future back”.

“The only ‘running attack’ on the countryside is from this Conservative Government who have abandoned our rural communities,” he said.

“The Tories have put up trade barriers and let energy bills skyrocket, crippling our farmers and putting producers out of business.”