T0ny
Tuesday 25th February 2003, 17:34
LONDON (Reuters) - It dates back to the pharoahs, was brought to Britain by the Romans and was popularised by the Victorians but the ancient sport of hare-coursing could soon disappear from the countryside under proposed new laws.
So when thousands gathered in rural Great Altcar, Lancashire, on Tuesday for the annual Waterloo Cup, they were aware it will be the last time the 167-year-old event is contested if the government's Hunting Bill banning the sport becomes law.
The bill would place strict restrictions on fox-hunting, the most visible aspect of hunting. But it also proposes an outright ban on coursing, in which dogs pursue a hare across open ground. The hound that seizes the quarry is the winner.
Already passed by the House of Commons, the bill could still struggle in parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords.
The government's move has pleased animal rights groups who have branded the sport barbaric. But it has also outraged those who say it is part of the rich tapestry of British rural life.
"We've been coursing competitively since the time of the Egyptians. It is the most natural pursuit known to man," coursing trainer Peter Lister told Reuters from Great Altcar.
"If Prime Minister Tony Blair, or anyone else, wants to stop me from coursing, they are going to have to have me genetically modified. I'm proud to say it is in my blood, like it was for my father and grandfather before me."
Would anyone who would care to assist in genetically modifying Mr. Lister please form an orderly queue. Pincers & pliers should not be too rusty, and saws should have been sharpened within the last ten years. An anaesthetic will not be needed, as Mr. Lister would no doubt think it un-natural.
Tony
So when thousands gathered in rural Great Altcar, Lancashire, on Tuesday for the annual Waterloo Cup, they were aware it will be the last time the 167-year-old event is contested if the government's Hunting Bill banning the sport becomes law.
The bill would place strict restrictions on fox-hunting, the most visible aspect of hunting. But it also proposes an outright ban on coursing, in which dogs pursue a hare across open ground. The hound that seizes the quarry is the winner.
Already passed by the House of Commons, the bill could still struggle in parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords.
The government's move has pleased animal rights groups who have branded the sport barbaric. But it has also outraged those who say it is part of the rich tapestry of British rural life.
"We've been coursing competitively since the time of the Egyptians. It is the most natural pursuit known to man," coursing trainer Peter Lister told Reuters from Great Altcar.
"If Prime Minister Tony Blair, or anyone else, wants to stop me from coursing, they are going to have to have me genetically modified. I'm proud to say it is in my blood, like it was for my father and grandfather before me."
Would anyone who would care to assist in genetically modifying Mr. Lister please form an orderly queue. Pincers & pliers should not be too rusty, and saws should have been sharpened within the last ten years. An anaesthetic will not be needed, as Mr. Lister would no doubt think it un-natural.
Tony