NEARLY 1,500 people turned up to see Carmarthen's annual New Year Hunt.

While the crowds flocked to Guildhall Square for the annual spectacle, rider numbers were down due to recent bitter conditions.

Many of the riders chose to stay away as they had been unable to exercise their horses for weeks due to the rock-hard ground conditions.

More than 20 riders donned their red coats, visiting old folks homes in Johnstown before making their way past the town's Mansell Arms and Boars Head pub, thrilling the crowds as they assembled in Guildhall Square prior to the hunt itself.

Some 20 members of the League Against Cruel Sports staged a protest in Carmarthen's Guildhall Square calling for the Hunting Act to remain in force.

The 2004 Hunting Act has made it illegal to hunt foxes with dogs, with alternative forms such as drag hunting — where a scent is followed by hounds — being popularised.

However, many feel that a change of government may eventually lead to a repeal of the Act, with fox hunting brought back.

League Against Cruel Sports member Mike Sharratt stressed that groups like the league were not against events like the New Year hunt, only against the hunting of animals itself.

Whitland-based Mr Sharratt said: "The difference between Carmarthenshire hunts and representatives for the League Against Cruel Sports was the hunt wanted to repeal the Hunting Act, making legal the killing of animals.

"It is clear that the vast majority of the public do not want hunting brought back.

"What the public may want is to see red coats and dogs in Carmarthen but not bringing the cruelty back and the killing of animals.

"We're not against people coming into town and looking at the people on horses in red coats.

"What we don't want is a repeal of the Act, 80 per cent don't want stags hunted and 70 per cent don't want foxes hunted.

"We are a bit surprised that we now have an MP who wants to repeal the Hunting Act."

Carmarthen hunt master Mike Watts praised the public support for the New Year hunt and the earlier Boxing Day hunt at nearby Meidrim, but admitted that numbers were down slightly.

"The public support was absolutely fantastic," said Mr Watts, adding: "It was a very, very good day."

He felt there may be a possible repeal of the Act in the next few years: "I think, at the end of the day, they've got to do something about it. I think that the appeal should be successful. The ban doesn't work, if a fox crosses the line the old hounds will follow it. I just hope the ban will be lifted. At the moment we don't know where we stand."

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