BSV hunt filmed trying to wrestle spade from roadworks crew

Another day, another outrageous incident involving the notorious Blackmore & Sparkford Vale.

In yet another example of England's most notorious hunt causing havoc, a member of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) hunt was captured on camera trying to wrestle a spade from a council worker in early March. The incident occurred as the hunt 'rampaged through roadworks', as North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs (NDHS) explained.

The BSV hunt is well known for its arrogant and menacing behaviour. As Protect the Wild reported in early February, Dorset Hunt Monitors summarised incidents that occurred on a single day's hunting for the BSV that month. The group wrote:

"Foxes chased, hounds out of control, huntsman losing control of himself and his hounds and traffic disrupted on main roads...just your average day with the BSV in Dorset."

Just a month on from that chaotic day, the BSV was at it again. NDHS shared a video on Facebook on 1 March about a confrontation the hunt had with council workers doing roadworks:

Video North Dorset Hunt Sabs

In the footage, the hunt's riders and hounds are causing pandemonium on a road where works are being carried out. One of the hunt members, which NDHS identified as a whipper-in, then attempts to snatch a spade out of the hands of a worker. Footage taken from a different angle, which one of workers shared with NDHS, shows that the whipper-in is yelling something like "come on then, come on then!" as he confronts the worker.

The footage also shows another whipper-in riding his horse at a saboteur who was filming the incident. This is not the first time the BSV's riders have behaved in this way. As we have previously reported:

"On 26 December 2024 the BSV used a horse as a weapon, narrowly missing a hunt sab, and on 20 January 2025, police were called after a BSV member rode into a sab from North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs (NDHS) while in pursuit of a fox.

It gets worse, In 2014, the BSV’s Mark Dogrell trampled hunt saboteur Nid Warren, hospitalising her and causing serious injuries. In 2020, another member of the BSV knocked down a monitor from Somerset Wildlife Crime."

These incidents illustrate that having the BSV galavanting around the countryside poses a danger to the public. However, it is wildlife that is most at risk from this hunt's behaviour. As our highlighted in our A Case for a Proper Ban on Hunting report, the BSV accounted for almost 13% of all reported fox chases and kills in the 2023/24 hunting season.

In short, the BSV hunt is a menace, whether you are a fox, a hunt saboteur, or even a council worker trying to get on with your job. The sooner the government gets on with banning hunts like the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale the better for everyone.

The BSV have featured regularly in posts on Protect the Wild and businesses associated with the hunt are featured on bloodbusiness.info:

• Protect the Wild: The Newt’s estate manager and her connections to fox hunting

• Protect the Wild: REVEALED: The Newt’s owners allow fox hunting on more of its land

• Protect the Wild: Police ‘investigating’ more illegal hunting by Dorset’s notorious BSV hunt (February 2025)

• Protect the Wild: Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt ends 2024 with four days of carnage (January 2025)

• Protect the Wild: Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hounds tear up fox in residential garden (November 2024)