CROWDS of people showed their support for trail hunting when they turned out to cheer on the Eggesford Hunt at both of its traditional Boxing Day meets.

On Tuesday, December 26 the hunt met at Okehampton and on Thursday, December 28 at the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel, Eggesford.

A large crowd of spectators on foot and horseback attended the Okehampton meet.

More than 15 attended the Eggesford meet on horseback, where the riders and foot followers enjoyed a stirrup cup and refreshments courtesy of the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel.

Master, Jason Marles, gave a speech during the meet where he thanked the hosts and also wished all present a Happy New Year.

There were about 70 foot followers at the 11am Eggesford meet, after which the hunt left for trail hunting in the surrounding countryside.

Hundreds of thousands of people were said to have lined the streets and market places of the UK for the Boxing Day meets of the 250 plus registered hunts in the UK, said the Countryside Alliance.

It said the annual spectacle is an opportunity for hunts to thank all those who support them, from the farmers and landowners over whose land they ride, to their subscribers and the public, whose enthusiasm for hunting shows no signs of waning, despite almost two decades of the Hunting Act.

The law, introduced by Labour in 2004, bans the use of dogs to hunt foxes and other wild mammals in England and Wales.