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The executive chairman of crisp company Tayto Group Limited is the chairman of a hunt which terrorises foxes in Tyrone, Armagh and Monaghan, it has been revealed.
A report in the Irish Field last week about the South Tyrone Foxhounds refers to “hunt chairman Stephen Hutchinson, the owner of Tayto UK”.
The Armagh-based company - which is separate to Tayto in the Republic of Ireland - is behind Tayto Cheese and Onion crisps and brands such as Golden Wonder, Ringos, Mr Porky, REAL hand-cooked crisps, Midland Snacks and The Real Pork Co.
The sickening Irish Field report describes how foxes ran for their lives from a pack of 43 hounds during the recent hunt which began at Castlebay.
The first fox was found along the shores of Lough Neagh and was subjected to a 45 chase over three miles. He was chased by the hounds around “a wide circuit of the large covert” and back towards the lake from where he ran back and crossed the Killycroppy Road and onwards over another road before ending up back at the shores of the Lough Neagh. At this point, the fox “had no option but to turn back and to ground”.
The fate of this fox wasn’t revealed but typically in hunting, when a fox goes to ground, hunt terriermen arrive to send terriers down the earth or drain to corner and attack the fox while the clay is dug away from above before the terrified animal is pulled out and killed.
The South Tyrone hunt - which chairman Stephen Hutchinson is said to have missed - then disturbed two other foxes. One of the foxes “crossed by the huntsman, literally flying at speed” while the hounds chased the other fox for 40 minutes across four miles.
“The fox swung right-handed over Bowden’s Hill and down the other side crossing the road into Watter’s in a line for the back of Stewart’s Hall,” the Irish Field report stated. “This fox and the pack screamed down the valley...and to ground in a stick pile.”
Later, another fox was pursued across a road and onwards for “a fast two miles”.
Stephen Hutchinson has been involved with the South Tyrone Foxhounds since at least 2009, with the Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association stating that he has been a joint master and giving his email address as stephen.hutchinson@tayto.com
A previous Irish Field hunt report from 2014 outlined the challenging terrain over which the South Tyrone Foxhounds hunt and quoted hunt master Stephen Hutchinson's motto as "if you are not falling, you are not trying".
A photo of “Stephen Hutchinson, MFH” [master of fox hunt] jumping a ditch during a South Tyrone Foxhounds hunt can be seen at https://www.foxhuntinglife.com/foxhunting-horse-a-hound/hunt-reports/2143-fox-hunting-with-south-tyrone-foxhounds-at-minterburn
ACTION ALERT
Don’t support companies connected to fox hunting. Boycott Tayto Group Limited products - Tayto Cheese and Onion, Golden Wonder, Ringos, Mr Porky, REAL handcooked crisps, Midland Snacks and The Real Pork Co products.
In December 2021, a bill which aimed to ban fox hunting in Northern Ireland was narrowly defeated after Sinn Fein and some DUP MLAs voted against it.
Contact Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald TD and ask why, despite an assurance that her party is “opposed to foxhunting” and would “vote in favour of a ban at the next opportunity”, Sinn Fein MLAs refused to back a ban.
Mary Lou McDonald TD
President, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Sinn Féin Head Office
44 Cearnóg Pharnell
Dublin 1, Ireland
Phone: 01 8726100
Email: admin@sinnfein.ie
Urge the DUP to back a ban on hunting with hounds.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Leader, DUP
Tel: 028 9266 8001
Email jeffreydonaldsonmp@laganvalley.net
Twitter @J_Donaldson_MP
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.donaldson1/
DUP Headquarters
Tel: 028 9047 1155
Email: info@mydup.com
In the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election, vote for animal-friendly candidates and reject those who support animal cruelty. Find out more about the views of candidates at https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/02/10/northern-ireland-politicians-and-animal-cruelty-issues/
A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, shows that a 77% majority in the Republic of Ireland agree that the government should ban fox hunting. The poll found that just 12 per cent disagree with a ban on foxhunting. Tell politicians to respect the wishes of the majority and ban fox hunting.
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party and Sinn Fein to tell them that you want fox hunting and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
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