Fox Hunts Leave Some in Britain Seeing Red

Thousands of scarlet-clad riders fanned out across the British countryside Wednesday in traditional post-Christmas fox hunts--while protesters gathered to demand that the government ban the sport.

About 30 hunts were scheduled for the day after Christmas, traditionally the busiest date on the fox-hunting calendar. More than 150 riders and 2,000 foot followers were expected at Prince Charles’s favorite hunt, the Beaufort Hunt in Badminton in western England.

Fox hunting was suspended in February because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, but several hunts were granted licenses to resume this month.

Anti-hunting groups said they would protest across the country. Past protests have been marked by sabotage and egg-throwing.

Several hunts stayed away from their traditional town-center meeting places Wednesday.

“The hunters are running scared,” said Douglas Batchelor, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Hunters at Maldon in eastern England said that they had decided to meet on private land but that the change was motivated by precautions against foot-and-mouth disease.

“Meeting in somewhere like a gated field will make it much simpler to ensure than everyone is properly disinfected--that’s the reason for the change,” said a spokeswoman for the pro-hunting Countryside Alliance.

Hunting is a highly emotive issue for Britain, an animal-loving country that also cherishes its traditions.

Polls have consistently indicated that a majority of Britons oppose using dogs to hunt down and kill foxes.

But many rural Britons say city dwellers don’t understand the need to control the fox population.