Covid-19 Secure

Covid-19 Secure Guidelines ***PLEASE READ***

This page is essential reading for anyone wishing to attend a hunting day this season. If you have any questions, please email Jess and Sophie our Hunt Secs secretary@staffcollegedraghunt.co.uk.

Mounted and non-mounted followers must follow this behaviour protocol which is based on requirements issued by the Hunting Office and MDBA*

All riders MUST book in with the Hunt Secretary Jess secretary@staffcollegedraghunt.co.uk NO LATER than 4pm on the Friday preceding a Sunday meet and 4pm on the Monday preceding a Wednesday meet.
All bookings must be accompanied by bank transfer payment. Riders will be sent bank details when they book in. Payment must also be received by the 4pm deadline.
Before attending a meet, all followers must undertake a self-assessment for any Covid-19 symptoms. Do NOT leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms of Covid-19.
Riders may bring ONE helper but must retain their contact details for track and trace purposes.
All foot and car followers will be asked to provide their names and contact details for track and trace purposes to a Covid Compliance Officer.
All followers both mounted and on foot must respect social distancing guidance at all times, maintaining 2m spacings unless from the same household.
Please pay particular attention to avoiding any congestion or congregation in gateways or on tracks and roads.
Please wash your hands before leaving home and sanitise your hands regularly throughout the day.
All followers both mounted and on foot should carry a mask and hand sanitiser in case they need to assist someone in an emergency.
Food and drink brought from home must not be shared with others.
Followers should not engage with hunt saboteurs in any way.

*The Hunting Office is the executive arm of the governing bodies for Hunting with Hounds in the UK. The Staff College Drag Hunt is a member of the MDBA (Masters of Drag Hounds and Blood Hounds Association).

The Meet - Information For Riders

After unloading, please wait by your box.
Ensure you are mounted by 12.20 but continue to wait by your box.
Huntsman Stephen Hall will bring hounds into the lorry park followed by the Field Masters for the day.
When instructed, please follow the Master for the first field, or second field, depending on where you prefer to ride.
Ride within social distancing guidelines at all times, especially between lines, whilst hacking on the public highway and through gates.
Please do not share any food or drink.
On returning to the lorry park, please remain by your transport until you leave for home.

Remember to have fun and enjoy your day!

Foot followers

One of the biggest challenges we currently face is how to accommodate our unmounted followers. In short this is very difficult to achieve under the current regulations.

We are not able to encourage the sharing of vehicles to minimise traffic, as we would normally do, and policing groups of people waiting at jumps and similar viewing areas, whilst maintaining social distancing is not currently practical.

Therefore, for the time being we are not going to make any formal arrangements for foot following on behalf of the hunt.

This is a situation that the Masters and Directors will keep under review. In the meantime, if you do choose to make your own arrangements to follow the hounds on hunting days, please could we respectfully ask you to keep to public highways, footpaths and bridleways. Please do not enter onto private land, even where we have been given permission to drag hunt, and maintain all the usual social distancing rules.

Many thanks for your cooperation in this matter.