THE HURWORTH Hunt celebrated its bicentenary on Tuesday by recreating a famous scene painted in 1846 by the banks of the River Tees.

With 33 Old English hounds in tow, huntsman Joe Townsend led the group of three horses and riders to a tree beside the river behind Neasham Abbey.

He got down from his grey mount to pat the hounds around him, Keith Balbach (Tuesday hunt master) remained in the saddle just as hunt founder Tommy Wilkinson was depicted, and whipper-in Andy Luxmoore stood beside his horse.

Crowds turned out to see the scene recreated and many brought cameras and video cameras to record the historic event.

It was 20 years since the hunt last met in Neasham outside the Fox and Hounds, and more than 50 years since it last set off from Neasham Abbey.

Although the hunt was founded in 1803, the origins of hounds and Hurworth goes back to the late-eighteenth century, starting with the Colling brothers - leading breeders of super-sized cattle, notably the Ketton Ox and The Comet.

Charles Colling lived just outside Darlington at a farm in Ketton and his brother Robert lived on The Green at Hurworth. There he kept a pack of hounds - the Hurworth Pack.

In 1803, the hounds were sold to the Wilkinson brothers of Neasham Abbey who followed them on horseback, and the Hurworth Hunt was born although the huntsmen came from Neasham.

Nowadays, the hunt meets 65 times a season, three times a week between September and November and then twice a week from November to March.

But its future hangs in the balance amid Government indecision on whether a ban on fox hunting would tip the fragile countryside economy into an irrecoverable abyss.

Anti-hunt protestors argue it is a cruel blood sport continued only for the recreation of a few.

Those in favour, say it keeps thousands of people in work and helps maintain the balance of the countryside.

A ban would certainly mean the destruction of thousands of healthy hounds around the country.

Joe Townsend, kennel master for the Hurworth Hunt, told the D&S Times they were not beaten yet.

"Hunting has survived two world wars, the advent of the railway and motorways, modern farming methods and political attack. We will survive this latest wrangle. If the politicians do what they say they will, then hunting will not be banned.

"But if they keep their minds closed, they will have a battle on their hands."

Peter Dennis, senior acting master of the hunt, added: "During the season about 50-100 foxes are killed. Some days we will see 12 on a hunt and only kill one or two.

"But the ones we get are the old, lame or sick which is just helping natural selection along."

Snowy weather and icy tracks on Tuesday, meant a lazy day for the horses, but a hectic one for the huntsmen.

Mr Townsend, added: "It's too treacherous underfoot for the horses today, so we'll be setting off on foot with the hounds. I'll certainly get a lot of exercise, that's for sure."