Huge crowds turned out to see a Boxing day hunt.

They lined the streets of Upper Denby and surrounding villages to see the Rockwood Harriers stage their festive meet.

The event passed off without any protests, as the hunt followed a specially-laid trail through surrounding farmland that is normally not accessible to them.

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The torrential rain early in the morning did limit the number of horses who turned out and also meant some land was inaccessible because of the heavy conditions.

Rockwood spokesman Mark Burton said: “We had the land made available to us but took the decision that because it was so wet and heavy, it could mean one of the horses getting injured.

“It was a very successful meet and there were a lot of people who turned out to see us.

“We have met without protests for quite a while now and we follow a strict protocol, with a trail, so we know which gates to open and when and which land to use.

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“It was a good opportunity to ride out through some marvellous countryside and jump walls and fences”.

The Rockwood Harriers were established in 1868 by Walter Norton of Denby Dale. They trail hunt the West Yorkshire area with some country on the eastern side on loan from the Badsworth Hunt.

The hunt covers Huddersfield, Mirfield, Horbury, Barnsley, Stocksbridge, Holmfirth and Bretton.

A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said there was huge public support for hunting at the Boxing Day meets.

The group estimates at least a quarter of a million people lined the streets and market places of the UK on Saturday for the Boxing Day meets of the 300 plus registered hunts in the UK.

She said: “This annual spectacle is an opportunity for hunts to thank all those who support them, from the farmers and landowners over whose land they ride, to their subscribers and the public, whose enthusiasm for hunting shows no signs of waning, despite more than a decade of the Hunting Act.”

The hunting ban came in in 2005 and bans the hunting of foxes, deer and hares.