National Trail Hunting Day 2026: four flagship meets on 17 October

National Trail Hunting Day returns on Saturday, 17 October, with flagship meets hosted by the Percy, Suffolk, Worcestershire and East Devon hunts. The day opens Newcomers to Trail Hunting Week, which runs until 24 October and invites anyone curious about hounds to see a lawful day’s trail hunting at first hand.

Where are the four flagship meets?

The Percy Hunt meets at South Charlton Farm, Alnwick, Northumberland; the Suffolk Hunt at Suffolk Heath House, Herringswell, near Bury St Edmunds; the Worcestershire Hunt at Bow Wood, Upton Snodsbury; and the East Devon Hunt at Honiton showground.

Followers are asked to arrive from 10am, with hounds meeting at 11am before trails are laid and hunted exactly as on an ordinary autumn day. There is no charge for spectators or foot followers, and anyone wishing to ride is asked to contact the host hunt in advance. The traditional autumn dress is ratcatcher, though organisers stress that smart, practical riding clothes are perfectly acceptable for newcomers.

Why does this year’s day carry extra weight?

The Labour Government remains committed to its manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting, and its consultation on proposals to prohibit the activity in England and Wales closed in June. The Future for Hunting campaign, a joint initiative between the Countryside Alliance and the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), generated more than 91,000 responses through its campaigning platform.

With ministers now considering those responses, organisers say it has never been more important to show the public, politicians and the police how trail hunting actually operates. Invitations have gone to MPs and rural crime officers, and each meet offers the chance to ask hunt staff how trails are laid and followed and to see hounds working at close quarters.

The alliance says the day is also a chance to welcome newcomers, challenge misconceptions and demonstrate the role hunts play in rural communities, from their connections with farmers and landowners to the contribution they make to local economies.

What happens next?

The four flagship meets take place on Saturday, 17 October, with booking through the Future for Hunting website. Newcomers to Trail Hunting Week runs from 17 to 24 October, with hunts across the country encouraged to hold open days, kennel visits and newcomers’ meets. Opening meets follow through the autumn, ahead of the traditional Boxing Day fixtures.