Dorset’s Gillingham & Shaftesbury Agricultural Show has taken the rare step of asking the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt and the Portman Hunt not to attend its Hound Parade this year – a decision rooted in legal, rather than political, grounds.
The Show has always positioned the Hound Parade as a celebration of countryside traditions – not a political statement. Yet a surge in recent convictions under the Hunting Act (2004) has prompted its board to reassess participation.
Since the 2024 Show, two members of the Portman Hunt and four from the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt have been convicted under the Hunting Act, which bans hunting wild mammals with dogs unless expressly exempted.
In a statement on its social media, the G&S Show made it clear: ‘This decision does not reflect a shift in the Society’s values, nor is it a commentary on legal hunting activity. Rather, it is a response to recent legal convictions and our responsibility to maintain the reputation and charitable aims of the Show.’
It’s rare – but not unheard of – for hunts to be barred due to legal controversy. Forestry England and the National Trust have previously suspended hunts from operating on their land in light of criminal proceedings. Military land usage has also been restricted: trail hunting licences on Salisbury Plain, particularly those previously held by the Royal Artillery Hunt, were withheld for the 2024/2025 hunting season. This decision, affecting multiple hunts, was part of a wider review by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and a potential ban on trail hunting on government-owned land.
The G&S Show’s decision marks a notable first: it appears to be the only recorded instance of a private agricultural society proactively excluding hunts due to criminal convictions, rather than political campaigning or public pressure.
The Society has been clear that this is not a condemnation of legal hunting activity. Rather, it is a measured decision taken to protect the Show’s integrity, maintain public trust and uphold the Society’s charitable aims.
It is hoped that, in future years, both Hunts will be able to return to the Show’s Main Ring. For now, the Society has prioritised transparency and responsibility – in a year when headlines have repeatedly sharpened public scrutiny of many aspects of rural life, the Show has quietly drawn a line not against tradition, but in favour of accountability.
About time too These criminals must be seen for what they are
Great idea. Serves them right.