Hunters: dialogue and a red coat

A typically seasonal image that appeared in all of the papers was the Boxing Day Hunt. Fox hunting is a sport which always seems to gather controversy and a good deal of parliamentary time too. The country is about evenly split on whether it should be completely banned.

The rights and wrongs of the sport aside, I'm always interested when one group of people tries to tell another that they are wrong.  In this case, the red coats, previously a sign of honour and pride within the rural community, now have a different significance. They are frequently (inaccurately, IMHO) cast as a badge of class and the sport is placed into the political context of 'class warfare'- an interesting metaphor in itself, these days...

I've spent the first half of the hunting season photographing the relationship between the hunters, their community and the landscape. It's a work in progress but I wonder if I can contribute to a more informed dialogue and promote better decisions about the future of this activity.  

For good reason, there is contention around access and publicity so I will need permission to publish any more photographs. For the meanwhile, I'd be interested to understand your reactions to the red coat; please do leave a comment.