A rousing day at Gwent's annual Boxing Day hunts

Riders set off from Bassaleg, Abergavenny and Devauden on the yearly hunt, while supporters of the sport and people just looking for a day out turned out to see them off.

The Tredegar Farmer’s Boxing Day hunt gathered outside the Tredegar Arms in Bassaleg at 11am, before setting off on a cross-country route.

Howard Jones, who is in his 47th year as Master of the Hunt, said the day had been a huge success.

“We had an excellent crowd and I was very pleased with the turnout,” he said.

“Our numbers of horses were down, but I think that was because people thought we were going to have the horrendous rain of the day before.

“We had somewhere in the region of 20 mounted, and I think there were also between 600 and 700 watching too.

“Everyone was pleased to see people there.”

Mr Jones, aged 86, added that hunting was continuing to grow in popularity since the ban was introduced more than 10 years ago.

“I would think the support for hunting is coming back in a big way,” he said.

As fox hunting with dogs has been illegal in the UK since 2005, hunts now follow an artificially-laid trail which is tracked by the hounds.

The Monmouthshire Hunt set off from outside The Angel Hotel in Cross Street, Abergavenny, at 11am before heading into the county’s countryside.

Joint leader Liz Egerton said it wasn’t clear just how many people were taking part, but support was just as strong as it had been in previous years.

“It was great,” she said. “David Davies, the MP, came and said a few words.

“It was a great day and the support was very rousing from the public.”

She added the best part of the annual event was the feeling of community spirit it brought to the area.

“It’s a community thing,” she said. “Hunting continues in Monmouthshire because it’s part of our lives.”