A horse-riding hunt member was caught on camera appearing to lash out, striking a whip at a cyclist as the hunting group passed during an event at the weekend in Kent.
The footage seen below was shared with Kent Online, and subsequently posted on social media. It was filmed by a hunt saboteur, Carly Ahlen, who was following The Kent Hounds’ meet and reportedly shows the horse rider strike their whip at the cyclist following an earlier discussion between the parties.
The scene happened on Saturday afternoon on the B2067 Knoll Hill in Aldington near Ashford, Kent Police saying that it has not received a report regarding the incident.
Shocking footage shows the moment a hunt rider appears to strike their whip at a cyclist. Full story: https://t.co/PDN4J9irEk pic.twitter.com/kJHrgI71Of
— KentOnline (@Kent_Online) November 14, 2023
Explaining that the cyclist was not part of the East Kent Sabs saboteuring efforts, the person who filmed the footage said it was “entitled” behaviour that is typical of “what we have become used to over the years”.
“Hunt havoc is the result of being allowed to ride roughshod over the countryside due to loopholes and exemptions in the law. We need to do more to close the loopholes – and consign hunting to the history books,” she said.
Kent Online says it has verified that the footage was filmed at 12.12pm on Saturday thanks to the “video’s metadata”, however a spokesperson for The Kent Hounds hunting group says it is “not aware of any incident taking place” and said many details remained unclear.
“The Kent Hounds is a trail hunting organisation which conducts lawful trail hunting activities,” the spokesperson said. “The hunt officials are not aware of any incident taking place nor of any allegations that have been made against one of our supporters, but this matter will be looked into further.
“You’ll appreciate that spurious allegations are regularly made to the media about hunts and their supporters to discredit hunting despite an alarming lack of evidence to justify such claims.
“It’s impossible to identify the hunt, the location, the date, the context or any specific individuals in the video footage that has been provided. But of course, if there is proved to be any substance to these allegations, we apologise for any distress that may have been caused to those involved.”
The location appears to be a bend on the B2067 (as seen in the picture illustrating this story) while the local press says it has verified the date and time.
According to the group’s website, The Kent Hounds is a “friendly and welcoming group of people from all walks of life and we invite visitors and newcomers to experience a day trail hunting with us”.
Social media posts from Saturday’s “inaugural opening meet 2023” said a “massive thank you to all our landowners and farmers for your continued support despite the wet ground conditions. A super day had by all.”
59 thoughts on “Horse-riding hunt participant filmed striking whip at cyclist”
Self entitled tory twats; you
Self entitled tory twats; you can absolutely guarantee that. They are absolute kents!
I’m sure there is a simple
I’m sure there is a simple explanation!
There is, and Legin just gave
There is, and Legin just gave it.
Legin wrote:
Absolute Berkshire Hunts
I’m always extremely
I’m always extremely considerate of horse riders, slowing down and ringing my bell a few times to let them know I’m there, but if I see a bunch of Berkeley Hunts like these I’ll think twice about being so kind in future.
It’s interesting that the
It’s interesting that the hunt group is still claiming the video needs to be verified when it already has been. That is assault.
Is it assault though if the
Is it assault though if the whip strikes the bike and not the rider?
I’m asking as suddenly every time I’ve touched a car, I have by association, assaulted the driver.
Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
It depends on whether the victim is afraid for their safety. I doubt very much whether drivers get scared that a cyclist is going to throw the car to one side, when the cyclist touches/hits a WING mirror. Someone aiming a whip that close to a rider is obviously trying to intimidate and cause a fearful reaction.
It’s assault plain and simple
It’s assault plain and simple. The bloke has used his height and size to intimidate another person. It’s been a very deliberate action. The guy is a thug.
Does that equate to a legal
Does that equate to a legal definition of assault?
Oh its clearly deliberate, its clearly done to intimidate, but physical assault… I don’t see it.
Jimmy Ray Will wrote:
Assault doesn’t require any contact with the victim, just making them fear it. You’re thinking of battery.
Assault covers a large
Assault covers a large spectrum from threatening language through to serious injury. I’m nearly sure the guidelines consider the fact that if you think you’re going to be attacked as the entry level for common assault. In this situation even the raising of a hand as a threatening gesture can be deemed as an attack. The fact that he has brought his arm down aggressively with a weapon (whip) will be considered as an attack whether he struck the individual or not.
bigwheeler88 wrote:
OT, but reminded me of a recent weekend ride. Having recently and carefully overtaken some horses and riders on a narrow country lane, I signalled to an oncoming car to slow down. Driver simply hooted his horn at me. I then heard the inevitable shouts of the riders just behind me round the corner giving him an earful. I like to think he put 2 and 2 together afterwards and changed his ways, but…
I am one of those evil,
I am one of those evil, entitled cyclists who don’t have a bell, but I undertand talking to people that have horses that actually a cheerful, human voice is the best thing to alert a rider to your presence, as the horse will also recognise it as a human and therefore not a threat, reducing the risk of bolting.
Obviously this requires me to play a recording that fits this description, as cheerfulness is beyond my capabilities.
It looks like a tap not a
..
Simple mistake by the hunter
Simple mistake by the hunter and definitely not intentional, anyone could have thought that the cyclist was a fox. Especially when the sun was in their eyes, or they thought they’d just hit a cat or something.
Ban fox hunting
Ban
foxcyclist huntingLeft_is_for_Losers wrote:
Ah, you’ve had enough of the following?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/albums/72157594400316816/
You’ve lost me. Nice photos
You’ve lost me. Nice photos though
There really is no place for
There really is no place for fox hunting in the UK anymore.. This might have been a legal hunt for all I know, but the hunts in the midlands are the opposite of legal and the local police seem not to care about stopping them. The entitlement of the hunter filmed really does just cement bad feelings towards this bunch of CU next tuesdays. I would love for someone to brazenly put holes in all of their vehicle tyres while they are off hunting. Just imagine the inconvienience that 30 odd vehicles and horse boxes all with flat tyres in the middle of the countryside would cause them.
It’s a drag hunt.
It’s a drag hunt.
Allegedly.
Allegedly.
mattw wrote:
That would explain the silly costumes.
mattw wrote:
You mean they’re chasing RuPaul?
There are two things going on
There are two things going on here.
1. Fox hunting or trial hunting or whatever. (This is a whole different debate and nothing to do with point 2)
2. Physical assault on a person, where from the video you can see one person not in danger is striking out at someone.
If the cyclist had gone up and hit the person on the horse, it would be the same. Physical assult.
This behaviour is not acceptable and whoever does it should get done for it. (IMHO)
On the other side, it does “look” like the cyclist is blocking the road, which inself is an offence.
All I am doing is looking at the footage and trying to make some sense of it.
Not really on topic, but back
Not really on topic, but back in my teens, when fox hunting was still legal, I was once out on a bike ride with a friend on a very quiet single-track lane close to home. We rounded a corner and came upon a full-scale fracas between hunters and hunt saboteurs. Must have been thirty people fighting in the road. Still one of the most abrupt and unexpected experiences I’ve ever had while cycling.
Brill; sounds like a
Brill; sounds like a playground fight at school. I always loved watching those. If, I wasn’t participating myself of course. Can’t understand why anyone would want to get involved in hunting with all the aggravation.
People who enjoy violently
People who enjoy violently abusing animals for fun have no qualms about violently abusing people shock. Hardly the first time…
The twitter comments are fun.
The twitter comments are fun.
It is definitely the cyclists fault apparently…
At least the footage proves
At least the footage proves that despite wearing a helmet and hiviz you are at still at risk of injury from other road users while riding a bike.
You’re right, because as a
You’re right, because as a cyclist myself I come across horse riders hitting me with a whip on a regular basis. This is disgusting behaviour from entitled snobs!
I’m afraid the lesson is to
I’m afraid the lesson is to stay well out of their way. The cyclist in the video did not and being whipped was not the worst thing that could have happened. Cycling near a combination of of 600kg horses ridden by a pack of people, with a gang mentality equals trouble. I was out a few months ago on my bike and a hunt was coming the opposite way, maybe 50 horses. So I just waited off the road for a few minutes. Why put myself in danger? As for hunting in general; seems like a very weird way to enjoy horses.
Fair _Weather_Flyer wrote:
I beg your pardon? Not sure you meant it like this, but surely the lesson is that the Hunt needs to operate within the bounds of the law?
Now its an incomplete clip so its not clear if the cyclists was deliberately blocking due to an ongoing interaction or just got overtaken by events but neither path can justify an assault with a whip.
If I was the lady involved I’d be reaching out to the Sabs for more footage….
He didn’t whip her, he
He didn’t whip her, he whipped the bike. If I was the lady involved I wouldn’t be reaching out to anyone. I’d be having a think about how I came to be in the middle of the road, broadside with a hunt coming through. As, a long time cyclist and country dweller, I know that horses can be unpredictable and are dangerous to riders and those near by. I think that was the unfriendly message being sent to her. The cyclist to the right had the right idea, off the road, aware of the situation.
Fair _Weather_Flyer wrote:
He appears to me to be quite deliberately striking at her legs, in fact. In terms of why she came to be in the middle of the road, we can’t tell; she is apparently not a hunt saboteur so perhaps she was just cycling along, got engulfed by the tide of horses and stopped in panic? The horse riders have just as much responsibility to safeguard the cyclist as vice versa, they appear to be completely ignoring this responsibility by taking the full width of the road and cantering, riding both sides of the cyclist; once they saw her they should have slowed down and prepared to stop, just as a group of cyclists should if they saw a horse there. The fact that the rider has chosen to strike her or her bike with a whip demonstrates that they are deliberately being aggressive.
All fair point; but
All fair point; but personally I think he whipped the bike on purpose. Judging by the similar bike and attire to the (sensible) guy at the side of the road, I’d say she is with him. Certainly, Mr Whipper, is an idiot and next time he goes out hunting or riding he will still be an idiot. But, if she is to enjoy and survive riding a bike in the country she is going to have to sharpen her survival instincts a bit and learn from this. In my experience, horses and farm machinery (driven by young labourers) are the big dangers of cycling in the country.
Rendel Harris wrote:
But a lot of hunts act like that. My wife’s aunt lives up in the Cotswolds, and has lots of stories to tell of hunts jumping hedges and crossing roads at speed, or riding through people’s gardens, etc etc. This crowd of ‘trail hunters’ (yeah, right) is no different.
Are you wise?
Are you wise?
He whips her below the shoulder on the arm. Her body clearly is inbetween the bike and horse.
Umm, so was he not doing the
Umm, so was he not doing the equivalent of “touching my motaaaahh”? Which as we know form various interactions with the law abiding gammons of the world, is a flagrant act of criminal damage & infers the right on the victim to seek immediate and violent vengence.
Either way, surely the OP is not condoning a deliberate act of violence intended to inflict damage, toward either the person or their property?
Perhaps if you do so with
Perhaps if you do so with politeness and courtesy…
indeed
indeed
You saw the cyclists head
You saw the cyclists head move as the whip struck her. Clearly the entitled snobs think they have the right of way as per usual.
To me it looks as though the
To me it looks as though the whip strikes the front wheel on a down and back movement. This moves the wheel to the left. The cyclists movement is correcting the movement of that wheel.
All this debate (in which I
All this debate (in which I admit I participated) is beside the point, if a hoodlum in the street slashes at you with a knife is it OK if they meant to miss you? The fact is that a large man rode a very large and dangerous (in this context) animal at a small woman on a bike and slashed in her direction with a whip. Whether or not he contacted her, her bike or missed both has little relevance, it was clearly intended to cause fear and as such is criminal assault under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 Section 39 (the defendant caused the victim to fear that immediate physical violence would be used against them) and is punishable by up to six months imprisonment.
Exactly this! The hunter has
Exactly this! The hunter has no right to do this
Are you sure you’re on the
Are you sure you’re on the right site? Is thw hunting weakly comment section closed?
Fair _Weather_Flyer wrote:
A horse with a bad temperament is one, a rider with a sense of entitlement is another. Rode horses for years and only came across a couple of “unpredictable ones” a poor rider will make a good horse skittish.
Horses should have been in
Horses should have been in single file in full control, reckless riding, endangering other road users. A horse and rider weigh more than all but the heaviest motorcycle and rider, they need proper testing both human and horse and licencing if they are to use the public highway.
Don’t forget helmets, MOTs,
Don’t forget MOTs, insurance, horse helmets & hi-viz. The free loading blaggards….
Robert Hardy wrote:
I don’t think it’s a good idea to change the historic rights of horse and riders to use roads. Any change in the law would be used to promote motor vehicles over them and likely there would be more backlash against cyclists and pedestrians (e.g. a jaywalking law).
Clem Fandango is quite right,
Clem Fandango is quite right, lots of them come as standard in dark colours.
It’s the space they use up bothers me. Not just while moving (2 abreast!) but all the public realm given over to stabling and hitching posts while they’re charging them (with oats). Plus the road damage (what’s the kerb weight of the average horse these days?).
Then there’s the pollution aspect…
I always give horses a wide
I always give horses a wide berth when out on a bike.
700kg, one horsepower, no steering, no brakes, capable of autonomous operation…
mark1a wrote:
I try not to pass them (moving) if I can at all – just don’t want to be the source of someone else’s misfortune. In my experience animals behave perfectly reasonably … until they don’t. Then all bets are off. (That includes humans too – as videos here show…)
I believe they’re not keen on surprises, nor things approaching them from behind. Presumably they get car training and cars make a noise in advance so they cope better with those? I have also heard that recumbents are more likely to send them frantic. If on an upright I slow right down if approaching from the front; on the recumbent I stop and maybe dismount so they can see it’s just a human not some terrible unknown low-slung predator.
I’ve never had any issues but since it’s only rarely and on recreational rides I meet them I don’t mind an abundance of caution. If I lived next door to stables, that might be different of course…
I was out for a (bike) ride
I was out for a (bike) ride the other day and got held up behind 6 of the jodhpur brigade (horse) riding 2 abreast. At 2mph. For 15 miles. I wouldn’t mind but they don’t pay road tax or have insurance. My ride to the cafe was delayed. Swines!
Clem Fandango wrote:
Anyone riding a boar, I’d say fair enough…
Yes, blame the victim. I’ve
Yes, blame the victim. I’ve cycled around horses many times without issue, I respect the riders and they respect me. This was an unprovoked attack. You’re also blaming the victim after a few seconds of footage, you don’t know what happened before the incident.
As both a horse and bike
As both a horse and bike rider I can tell you that using a whip on another person or person’s vehicle is a criminal offence. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a horse rider’s way deliberately or not.
That spokesperson’s response
That spokesperson’s response doesn’t do much for their image! ‘We can’t identify anything’, rather than ‘We’re doing everything we can to find out who this person was.’ Hardly a surprising response from people who enjoy chasing and tearing animals apart.
bikes wrote:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/16/oklahoma-governor-kevin-stitt-cockfighting