2013 Field Hunter Championship of America
Organizers of the 2013 Field Hunter Championship of North America urge you to bring your best field hunter and join in the action for a week of foxhunting behind four Virginia foxhound packs: Keswick, Casanova, Snickersville, and Piedmont. Evening get-togethers are on the schedule including a day at the Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood Park, […]
Judge Delays Horse Slaughter Plant Openings in New Mexico
A federal judge last Friday placed a temporary restraining order on the planned openings of two New Mexico horse slaughter plants scheduled to begin operations this week. Chief U.S. District Judge M. Christine Armijo ruled on the basis of claims by horse slaughter opponents that the plants pose a threat to the environment. The ban […]
Townies Should Pass an Exam Before Voting on Rural Affairs
Retired star cricket player and professional team captain David Gower suggests that “townies” should be required to pass an exam on rural affairs before being allowed to vote on issues that affect the countryside. He also accuses politicians who are “allergic to grass” of making unpopular decisions about countryside matters. Gowers’ comments were made to […]
Fox and Terrier Are Best Friends
As in Disney’s movie, The Fox And The Hound, a Patterdale-Lakeland terrier cross and a fox cub have become the best of friends. The fox, called Rosie, was the lone survivor of her litter after the father killed the other cubs. She was rescued—eyes not yet open—hand reared, then taken in by Richard Bowler in […]
RSPCA Makes Overture to English Countryside
Stung by criticism of the staggering amount of money—£326,000—spent to prosecute the Heythrop hunt for violations of the Hunting Act, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is attempting to repair relations with the British countryside. (See earlier, related FHL article.) The Society has proposed the establishment of a new self-regulating […]
The Chronicle of the Horse Is Sold
The Chronicle of the Horse in Middleburg, Virginia and Mark Bellissimo of Wellington, Florida jointly announced today the sale of the magazine to Bellissimo. The purchase also includes The Chronicle‘s enormous vintage black and white photo library that has recorded most major equestrian sporting events since the late 1930s, as well as the digital publication, […]
Immigration Reform Is a Horse Industry Priority
The U.S. Senate has passed its Border Security, Economic opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744), but the bill is expected to face opposition in the House of Representatives. The American Horse Council has strongly supported the bill, saying that immigration reform has been a horse industry priority for many years. Despite substantial efforts to recruit […]
New Countryside Alliance Film Attempts Calm Discourse on Hunting Debate
The Countryside Alliance (UK) has produced a new film that attempts discourse on the hunting debate in a calm and measured way. Titled Foxhunting: Cruel Sport or Natural Chase, the film takes the position that the hunting issue in England was not resolved by the Hunting Act as passed.
House Committee Approves Protections for Hunting on Public Lands
Legislation ensuring sportsmen’s access to federal lands cleared its first hurdle this week as the House Natural Resources Committee voted 28-15 in favor of H.R. 1825. Known as the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act, H.R. 1825 is the most significant legislation protecting sportsmen’s access in 16 years, according to the U.S. Sportsmen’s […]
New Regs for Training Preserves in Virginia
Tighter regulations governing wildlife training preserves, also known as fox pens, were approved by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Animal welfare groups urged that such facilities be closed, but sportsmen working with wildlife officials agreed on new rules to improve the safety of penned foxes. Among the new regulations: one hundred acres […]