THEY’VE been gathering on Boxing Day morning for almost 100 years...

And yesterday was no different for The Cumberland Farmers Foxhounds, whose members congregated in Dalston to meet up with fellow hunt supporters and create a traditional spectacle that has now been a firm part of the area’s rural life since 1921.

As the riders assembled, and the hounds sniffed the air before setting off on their 10 mile jaunt across country, supporters spoke of why they regard the meet with such affection. Time after time, they said that what they most loved about the spectacle was the sense of tradition.

“I used to live in the village and I like the tradition of it,” said Philip Mattinson, 62, from Grinsdale.

“There are three generations of my family here today. You can see how many people turn up to see it, and enjoy watching the hunt work. I’ve got a labrador and used to walk the hounds for them.”

Joint master of the hunt Trevor Whitfield, 52, said: “It’s the biggest day on the hunt calendar.

“More than 250 hunts will be out today; and Cumberland Farmers Foxhounds are coming up to their 100th year at the end of next year. They were formed in 1921 and they’ve met every year on this day since then. It gets everybody out of their house on Boxing Day, and gives them chance to walk the turkey off.

“Today, we’re providing a little bit of port to warm their tummies.”

Mr Whitfield said those taking part came from all walks of life, and included joiners, plumbers, electricians, and farmers. The youngest person taking part was a seven-year-old girl, and the oldest Bill Brown, who is 82.

Gary Roberts, 56, said: “It’s good to see this happening. You just look around and see there are a lot of kids here.”

There were indeed plenty of families there with their children. Dean Thomson, 30, was there with Ollie, five, Finley, three, and two-year-old Jessie. “I’ve been coming for years,” said Dean. “It’s Jessie’s first time.”

Also there with her family was Fiona Singleton, 32, with her husband Tom, 36, and their children Connor, seven, and one-year-old Marnie.

“It’s tradition,” said Fiona.

“I like coming down to see the dogs and the horses. My dad used to take us. It’s a great day out.”

Taking a lead role in the event was hunt master Shaun Anderson, who thanked everybody for turning out and gave the order for the hunt ride to begin.

A few minutes before doing this, he told The Cumberland News: “It’s good to keep up this tradition; and it’s good to bring it out into the village. I like to see the hunt working, and riding over people’s land.

“It’s just rewarding to see how the dogs work but they learn their manners at home.”

Former farmer David Shirvinton, who now works as a gardener for Carlisle City Council, said: “With my relatives, an interest in this goes back to John Peel. It’s in our family. I’m a born and bred countryman.

“Events like this keep it alive.”

Hunt secretary Joanne Charlton added: “It’s just a lovely tradition, which is well supported. It’s nice to see people who we don’t see on a regular basis.”

The Countryside Alliance’s Head of Hunting, Polly Portwin commented: “Boxing Day meets offer hunts the perfect opportunity to showcase their legal hunting activities to the public and the media.

“Yet again hunts have been welcomed by vast numbers of supporters who have gathered in town squares, outside pubs and in fields surrounding stately homes, to welcome hounds on Boxing Day.”

“This has been an incredibly wet season so preparations have been made more difficult than in recent years, however it is testament to the determination of hunts and the generosity of landowners that so many meets have gone ahead again today to ensure that the thousands of those who turned out to support were not disappointed,” she continued.

The Cumbria Against Bloodsports And Animal Cruelty group were yesterday planning what they said would be a peaceful protest against the meet of the Blencathra Hunt in Keswick.

The hunting of wild mammals with dogs was banned in England and Wales by the Hunting Act of 2004.

Current law allows trail ‘hunting’. This involves people on foot or horseback following a scent along a pre-determined route with hounds or beagles. It is meant to replicate a traditional hunt but without a fox being chased, injured or killed.