DOZENS of well-wishers turned out to support a New Year’s Day hunt despite the wet and windy weather.

The Hurworth Hunt met at its traditional starting point, the Horse Shoe Inn, in West Rounton, near Northallerton, and one of the hunt masters Jane Strickland said there were around 60 supporters waiting to see the hunt head off.

And although she said the hunt went well, riders were ready to call it a day slightly earlier than usual because of the increasing wind.

She said: “The New Year’s Day hunt is often only for the hardened hunters because of the night before but we always get people coming out to support us.

“I have been hunting since before I can remember and we have always met at the Horse Shoe Inn so it is a great tradition.

“Despite the wind and rain we did have a very enjoyable hunt – the field master does a great job of keeping us entertained and the Hurworth Hunt is known to be a friendly crowd.”

She added: “We had around 45 horses in the hunt, compared with around 60 to 70 on a weekend."