AROUND 500 people gathered at Monmouth Castle on New Year’s Day for the annual Monmouthshire Hunt meet.

Some 30 horses and riders gathered with the hounds at the Castle Square for the hunt led by hunt master Mike Fitzpatrick and huntsmen James Davis and Mitch Boser.

Foot supporters supplied the riders and loyal supporters at the traditional New Year’s Day meet with mince pies, sausage rolls and mulled wine.

The Hunt’s Mr Fitzpatrick thanked the crowds for turning up and wished everybody a happy New Year and added: “It’s always a pleasure to be here in Monmouth on New Year’s Day, an event which has very much become an annual tradition and long may it continue.”

At the sound of the hunting horn, the horses and the hounds left the square to a large cheer from the supporters and make their way up to the Buckholt to follow a 14-year tradition of drag hunting.

The Hunting Act 2005, made the hunting of foxes illegal which meant that hunts stage ’drag hunts’ where an item of cloth is dragged to lay a scent for the hounds to follow.