A Townie at the Foxhunter's Ball

[NoJo]

Most weekends I play in a function band. The gig's well-paid, and it's fun (but a major strain on my back -- my keyboards are heavy).

Last Saturday the event was the a Hunt Ball, where the recently banned "sport" of fox-hunting was celebrated by Somerset farmers and landowners. I was not looking forward to playing for these upper-class twits. Probably antisemites too.


But being law-abiding folk in Somerset, there was no Hunt. Instead, a pony-race took place. Strapping young men dressed as maidens or Robin Hood, pretty young girls dressed as foxes or Robin Hood rode a half-mile steeplechase in the hot Summer night, on auctioned ponies and mares. In spite of Somerset being the cider capital of England, Fosters and Smirnoff Ice were the drinks of choice. The women wore gowns, the men Dickie bows, sweating uncomfortably in the sweltering tent.

Between sets, I overheard them speaking: To my surprise, mostly slow Somerset drawls rather than posh accents. Farmers complaining how they had to convert their farmhouses into B&B's. The mood was one of the defiance of the defeated: Their way of life is disappearing. A young man sported a T-shirt depicting a caricature of Blair with the words "Give us back our hunt" which already looked as anachronistic as the "Nuclear Power? No Thanks" stickers of twenty years ago.

The Hunt Ball was nothing to do with hunting or foxes. It's simply a place where young locals could meet, drink, dance and (behind the portacabin where the band changed), have a quick fuck. Not one fox was torn to shreds the whole evening.

 

[Guest]

The British: they shag like mindless fuckwits.

Number one in teenage pregnancy except US.

Fucking bollocks race. (But better than Polish)

 

[Guest]

'times, they are a-changin'...sometimes bob dylan really got it right. not that i condone the slaughter of little red foxes but dayum...as much as things change, they stay the same. im certain that random acts of fucking went on no matter the object of the 'hunt'
go forth, young monkey man and play that funky music white boy. i think the british need your rhythm to help them with their thrusts!

 

[SummerMorning]

Foxes are *so* cute.

Couple of months ago when I went for a jog a little one followed me for a bit before continuing on its path.

 

[TheEarl]

Foxhunting's an interesting debate. On the one hand you get the highly emotive images of foxes being torn to bits by dog packs.

On the other you get the fact that foxes are a pest in this country and need to be killed one way or another and that being hunted ranks as one of the lesser of the evils (Shooting coming under the heading of cruel and unusual due to the probability of wounding the fox to die slowly and painfully). Added to this the way of life that the hunt upholds and I come down just in favour of foxhunting.

The Earl

 

[stormkitty]

Some of my best friends are foxes, though I also know a few who can be quite annoying. They have a reputation for being insatiably horny. Granted it's just a stereotype, but you gotta admit a well-groomed tail can be sexy as hell.

 

[neonlyte]

Foxhunting's an interesting debate. On the one hand you get the highly emotive images of foxes being torn to bits by dog packs.

On the other you get the fact that foxes are a pest in this country and need to be killed one way or another and that being hunted ranks as one of the lesser of the evils (Shooting coming under the heading of cruel and unusual due to the probability of wounding the fox to die slowly and painfully). Added to this the way of life that the hunt upholds and I come down just in favour of foxhunting.

The Earl

Since foxhunting accounts for less than 10% of unnatural fox deaths per year in the UK (road kill and disease account for more than 90% - figures from pro-hunting website) the idea that fox hunting 'controls a pest' is a load of bollocks. Foxes are hunted for sport - end of story, admit it I dare you.

 

[TheEarl]

Since foxhunting accounts for less than 10% of unnatural fox deaths per year in the UK (road kill and disease account for more than 90% - figures from pro-hunting website) the idea that fox hunting 'controls a pest' is a load of bollocks. Foxes are hunted for sport - end of story, admit it I dare you.

True, foxhunting is definitely a sport first and foremost. But those 10% of fox deaths must be accounted for somewhere, otherwise the population of foxes will explode. If hunting is stopped, then that leaves trapping (causing the fox to die a slow, painful death if not killed immediately) or shooting (causing the fox to die a slow, painful death if not killed immediately).

Unless of course we allow those 10% of foxes to survive and breed every year, throwing out the ecological cycle that has developed and causing a serious threat to animal farming and to species that foxes prey on.

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Since foxhunting accounts for less than 10% of unnatural fox deaths per year in the UK (road kill and disease account for more than 90% - figures from pro-hunting website) the idea that fox hunting 'controls a pest' is a load of bollocks. Foxes are hunted for sport - end of story, admit it I dare you.

*applauds*

 

[Guest]

True, foxhunting is definitely a sport first and foremost. But those 10% of fox deaths must be accounted for somewhere, otherwise the population of foxes will explode. If hunting is stopped, then that leaves trapping (causing the fox to die a slow, painful death if not killed immediately) or shooting (causing the fox to die a slow, painful death if not killed immediately).

Unless of course we allow those 10% of foxes to survive and breed every year, throwing out the ecological cycle that has developed and causing a serious threat to animal farming and to species that foxes prey on.

The Earl

Erm... can I just say: birth control?

Not as silly as it sounds.

Not much fun for those blood-hungry twats, admittedly, but far, far nicer for the foxes.

 

[TheEarl]

Erm... can I just say: birth control?

Not as silly as it sounds.

Not much fun for those blood-hungry twats, admittedly, but far, far nicer for the foxes.

Birth control of foxes? How the hell do you manage that?

The Earl

 

[ozymandiask]

Wolves & Bears

Since foxhunting accounts for less than 10% of unnatural fox deaths per year in the UK (road kill and disease account for more than 90% - figures from pro-hunting website) the idea that fox hunting 'controls a pest' is a load of bollocks. Foxes are hunted for sport - end of story, admit it I dare you.

You are totally wrong .Fox Hunting is not primarily about Foxes at all. It is mainly a social hub for country people who have very few opportunities to meet during the short winter days. Mos t of the people who attend a meet do not follow the hunt at all.

Your comments about hunting as pest control are correct. My former brother in law was a professional huntsman for many years and he said he never saw a hunt kill a fit fox. They only killed the old and infirm. Fit foxes are fast and intelligent .Hounds are slow and only hunt by scent, never sight. Two lurchers or similar "hunt by sight" dogs are far more dangerous to foxes than hounds.

Personally I favour the natural method of Fox control and advocate the return of the European wolf to the English countryside. After all they were only shot to extinction in the 18th century prior to which they were the foxes natural enemy.Whilst we are about it why not bring back the european Brown Bear which was only killed off by hunters in the 13th century. if the said bears and wolves took out one or two hunt sabateurs that would I think b e acceptable collateral damage.

 

[Guest]

Birth control of foxes? How the hell do you manage that?

The Earl

They manage to plant poison, I'm sure they can plant some "fox pill powder" just as easily.

Seriously, Earl, I am NOT being facetious, it is done to control many types of "pests" all over the world.

 

[Guest]

Personally I favour the natural method of Fox control and advocate the return of the European wolf to the English countryside. After all they were only shot to extinction in the 18th century prior to which they were the foxes natural enemy.Whilst we are about it why not bring back the european Brown Bear which was only killed off by hunters in the 13th century. if the said bears and wolves took out one or two hunt sabateurs that would I think b e acceptable collateral damage.

Couldn't agree more! Fantastic solution.

 

[TheEarl]

They manage to plant poison, I'm sure they can plant some "fox pill powder" just as easily.

Seriously, Earl, I am NOT being facetious, it is done to control many types of "pests" all over the world.

Poison doesn't generally do the job either as foxes are very wily creatures and tend to be able to detect foreign chemicals.

If it works, then go for it and switch all the hunts to the drag method to keep the social side.

And agreed very much with Ozymandiask - any hunt sabateur casualties would be the first genuine use of the words 'acceptable casualties'.

I remember reading that the European wolf was being reintroduced to parts of Scotland and that they were hoping to spread it down South as well. However, you then bring in the wonderful ecological question of "What eats a timber wolf?"

The Earl

 

[Guest]

However, you then bring in the wonderful ecological question of "What eats a timber wolf?"

The Earl

The timber wolf's SO?

 

[neonlyte]

Erm... can I just say: birth control?

Not as silly as it sounds.

Not much fun for those blood-hungry twats, admittedly, but far, far nicer for the foxes.

You mean birth control for the twats that do the hunting

 

[Guest]

You mean birth control for the twats that do the hunting

Give the man a banana!

PMSL!!!

 

[TheEarl]

You mean birth control for the twats that do the hunting

Neon: Surely that's highly classist? There's a number of twats in the upper class and there are a number of twats who hunt. But there are also a damn sight more nice people.

Why do people always consider the upper class and people who hunt to be all wankers, often on very little evidence?

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Neon: Surely that's highly classist? There's a number of twats in the upper class and there are a number of twats who hunt. But there are also a damn sight more nice people.

Why do people always consider the upper class and people who hunt to be all wankers, often on very little evidence?

The Earl

Cos we know it's true.

 

[neonlyte]

Neon: Surely that's highly classist? There's a number of twats in the upper class and there are a number of twats who hunt. But there are also a damn sight more nice people.

Why do people always consider the upper class and people who hunt to be all wankers, often on very little evidence?

The Earl

Yes.




A Chinese relative (don't ask) begged me to get him fixed up for a fox hunt. It took some setting up through pals in Guildford and he turned out in totally the wrong outfit and made an utter twat of himself - I'm not sure he'd ever been on a horse until that day. The whole purpose of his hunt was to make connections, that part, at least, worked and today he runs a global business, two Christmas's ago he sacked 50,000 workers in Africa because he saw the coming slump in European markets. He's no longer a relative, he's three wives on from my connections. He probably clouds my entire view about fox hunting.

 

[TheEarl]

Cos we know it's true.

Why?

I know plenty of upper class people who don't fit the stereotype of a complete and utter knob. Yet they all get tarred with the same brush.

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Why?

I know plenty of upper class people who don't fit the stereotype of a complete and utter knob.

The Earl

You said "knob".

(Help me, I can't shake this silly mood. Don't wanna, but well, I have to show willing. )

 

[TheEarl]

Tatelou = Barbara Windsor and I claim my free breast baring.

<waits for avatar change>

Night all.

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Tatelou = Barbara Windsor and I claim my free breast baring.

<waits for avatar change>

Night all.

The Earl

*POP*

Awww, ya missed it.