77 replies to this topic

[Talon]

I couldn't see any other recent threads on Blood Sports, so I was wondering what people make of the Waterloo Cup and Blood Sports:



The Waterloo Cup was established at Altcar in 1836 and centres around hare-casing.

The 2004 event was attended by 7,000 spectators and 160 protesters.
The event organisers say only 1 in 8 hares die in the event, RSPC inspectors take the average to be closer to 1 in 4. This year 7 out of 27 of the Hares died (1 in 4).

With the possible passing of the Hunting Bill at the end of the year it could be illegal by 2005. Last July MPs voted by 317 to 145 in favour of the ban, but the unelected House of Lords banned it, keeping fox and stag hunting, as well as hare coursing, legal.

Here are some quotes from the defence:

Clarissa Dickson Wright, star of Two Fat Ladies - "I just wish all these people who jump up and down and say these silly things would come and watch the cup with an open mind and have coursing explained to them. Although some hares are killed, the point is not to kill them, and the ones that are killed are not ripped apart as these protesters would have you believe. I cook with some of them, in fact I have one marinading in the pot now."

"I have never heard one rational reason why this should not happen."

Charles Blanning, secretary of the National Coursing Club - "The Waterloo Cup is the greatest coursing event in the world - it is the greatest test of a greyhound in the world, and that's what we go to see."


Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance - "All of the organisations have so far failed to come up with any decent reason to make this a criminal offence. And many people think that there are more important issues that Parliament should be dealing with."



Here are the views of the protestors:

Gregg Metcalfe, spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports on Celebraty support - "We are extremely disappointed that anybody in the public eye would want to be associated with this barbaric event. To back such a high profile event sets a terrible example to his fans, that it is OK to chase and kill an innocent hare in such a cruel manner. It is very irresponsible."

Tony Moore, chairman of the Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe - "This arena bloodsport should have been thrown into the dustbin of history years ago."

"The Waterloo Cup is not a race to see who is the fastest or strongest, but a race to see who can kill the quickest.

"People do not cheer while watching - they just cheer with blood lust when an animal is killed."

"Bookmakers are a big part of the scene at the Waterloo Cup. It is obscene to gamble on the life or death struggle of an animal"

Veteran animal rights campaigner Tony Moore, whose late wife Vicky was gored by a bull during a demonstration at a Spanish fiesta - "This is the United Kingdom's best-kept secret. Nobody in the rest of Europe knows that this is going on. It is disgusting."

Dina Nixon, a 41-year-old mother- of- one -  "I think it is shocking that people would bring their children to something like this, it is absolutely barbaric."

West Lancashire Labour MP Colin Pickthall - "Murder is not a sport"  "Ban this bloody butchery".

Emma Milne, from BBC's Vets in Practice programme - "I think it is very bizarre. They could still do all of this and use a false hare. They say it is about pest control but you don't get this kind of a turnout for a cockroach exterminator. If a group of teenagers from an inner city council estate set their dogs on a cat then there would be uproar. This is completely unacceptable."

RSPCA spokeswoman Heather Holmes - "It is appalling that the RSPCA employs inspectors in the Merseyside area who day in, day out, work to prevent cruelty, and yet this barbaric practice dubbed a sport is allowed to go on on our doorstep and we can do nothing at all to prevent it. It is made worse by the fact this is promoted as a recreational activity. To witness the cheer from the crowd each time a hare is caught absolutely beggars belief."

Source: www.lancslacs.co.uk, http://icseftonandwestlancs.icnetwork.co.uk

Personally I'm an animal lover and find Blood Sports wrong for both moral reasons but also on the grounds of the animals' right to live.

What does everyone else think?

Edited by Talon S., 26 February 2004 - 02:31 AM.

[Gazz]

Talon, You and I can agree on this
issue!

I also believe that anybody who attends
or watches these kind of events and is
entertained are totally sick in the head!

They just broke up a group of people
here in my city for fighting dogs for
profit, these animals are forced to
fight to the death, and the images were
beyond graphic.. I will not post them
here.

What broke my heart was seeing some of
the dogs that had won, and were later
shot or beaten to death by their owner
because the animal was unable to fight
again.

Gazz

Edited by Gazz, 26 February 2004 - 02:45 AM.

[DC09]

No! And I don't know why anyone would. Its disgusting.    

[Talon]

[Seraphina]

Anyone who finds entertainment in pain and death is absolutely twisted...blood sports have always sickened me, and will continue to do so until they're banned.

As we've seen, there are many alternatives to blood sports...in some areas, drag hunting is practiced instead of fox hunting for example (for those who don't know, drag hunting involves a human runner, marked out in some way by a strong cent, usually anacede. At worst, he will recieve a severe licking when caught). The claim that it's not about the kill is absolutely ridiculous, or such alternatives would be in use instead.

It amazes me that in the UK, a country I like to consider rather enlightened on the whole, such barbarism still exists.

[Cercea]

[Dowdy]

[Stamford]

Many pro-blood sport people defend their "sport" by saying that, in the cases of foxes, it keeps down the population.

I personally have no problem with shooting foxes (if you are a farmer for instance) and I have no problem with people hunting, as long as they eat what they kill.

I DO have a problem with people who think it is fun to kill small creatures and who do it only for the buzz they get from chasing down a terrorfied animal before having it very painfully killed.

I live in a part of England where these kinds of activities are still very popular and I find the people who do it tend to be utter w######s.

Now, if we could hunt these people for fun, I might change my mind.    

[Thistle]

As far as Hare coursing is concerned, the sooner it goes down the same road as fox hunting the better in my opinion.  There are better ways to test the speed and agility of your dog than to run it against a hare.   Likewise, saying that the Hare is eaten is hardly making it ok that it suffered a horrible death.....if you want to eat hare, get one that was humanely shot.

Fox-hunting, what can I say ....Good riddance...I am well aware that foxes can be a nuisance to farmers especially during the lambing season but I have never seen the justification in using that as an excuse to have fun......take out the problem fox quickly and humanely and leave the rest alone.


However, I'd love to hear what other members would class as bloodsports ???  I think it's safe to say that the above two will be undisputed but should shooting, fishing, falconry etc be classed alongside them as some people would have you believe ?????

[Seraphina]

[Talon]

Was kind hoping for a controvesial debate.... can't really happen if we all agree   , com'on someone must support it, don't be scared, we wouldn't shoot you down.... much    

[Thistle]

[Bazza Unexplained]

Where I live, in a rural area,  many practice and support bloodsports.

However, I don't agree with it and never have.

Most days guns are ringing out all round as poor old pheasants are gunned down in the name of "sport". Many farmers round here breed them especially for shoots. I have to smile when they insist that walkers keep their dogs on leads in case they upset the birds.   

[Thistle]

Welcome again Bazza  

* decides to play devil's advocate to satisfy TalonS *  

Is there any real difference between a farmer breeding pheasants specifically for a shoot and a farmer breeding sheep specifically for the slaughterhouse ????  Slightly off-topic I know but as I said earlier some people would class shooting as a blood sport too..

[Scar]

True thistle but it does beg the question;


How many cookies could a good cook cook if good cook could cook cookies ?

Anyhoow, You could argue that the farmer is supplying on demand, a product most people enjoy , Where as the folk who enjoy watching an animal getting slaughterd are pretty damm sick.

The farmer aint doing it for enjoyment  


Don't judge me on the penguin game  

Man I love that !