When Tony Blair's government banned fox hunting, many Labour MPs argued that the activity could be replicated by chasing an artificial scent. Thus trail hunting was born. Yet 21 years on, Labour wants to ban the very practice it proposed.
If the Government gets its way, hunt staff will lose their jobs, rural hospitality businesses will suffer and 12,000 or so hounds are likely to be put down, since they are pack animals that cannot be rehomed as pets.
The consequences for the UK's horse-racing industry are also dire. Countless jockeys, trainers and grooms hone their skills through hunting and point-to-point races organised by local hunts. Without this broad, often volunteer-organised ecosystem, UK horse racing – in particular, jump racing – would face a potentially grave future.
Critics argue that trail hunting is used as a smokescreen for illegal hunting. Yet the answer to this is simple: penalise those breaking the law, rather than ban a legitimate activity that links people to the countryside's ancient traditions.
The hunt has long been woven into the fabric of the English imagination. It has fired the minds of some of our greatest writers, and inspired a rich seam of paintings, prints and pub names.
Banning trail hunting would be Labour's latest assault on rural culture. The Government has already hiked taxes on family farms, tightened the rules around shotgun ownership and proposes to lower the drink-driving limit to such a degree that country pubs risk going out of business.
The consultation on the trail hunting ban closes on Thursday. Anyone who cares about preserving our rural heritage should make their voice heard.
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