Rebekah Vardy has been slammed by fans after sharing snaps of herself trail hunting in the countryside.
The WAG, 41, took to Instagram to share a gallery of images and a video trying out a new horse as she joined a huge group of hunters partaking in the Boxing Day tradition, which mimics the actual act without using live foxes.
It was a move that sparked backlash from some of Rebekah’s followers, as trail hunting has previously been dubbed a ‘smokescreen’ for the actual hunting and killing of wild animals, which was banned in 2004.
Penning a defiant caption, Rebekah was quick to clarify that ‘no animals were hurt in the process,’ and joked she simply suffered from a ‘sore head’ after a trip to the pub hours later.
Rebekah wrote: ‘Fox Hunting – no animals were hurt. Great few days out on fun rides and trail hunts testing out a new horse Great turn out and even better port and mulled wine at our stop off at Durham Ox pub.
‘NO animals were hurt in the process, just sore heads.’
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales following the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004, which prohibits the chasing of wild mammals with dogs.
Tens of thousands of people head out in support of Boxing Day trail hunts, with crowds lining the streets to take pictures and observe the tradition.
The hunts lay an animal-based scent trail – using fox urine – which has been laid in areas where foxes or hares are likely to be.
However, the act of trail hunting remains controversial, as those laying the trail are not meant to tell those controlling the hounds where the scent has been laid.
If a hound ends up following a live animal scent, the hunt can claim that they did not know and aren’t responsible.
Rebekah’s post sparked a flurry of backlash from users who took to the comments section of her posts.
One wrote: ‘We all know it’s not a trail hunt. You only need so dig deeper to know that. By going, you’re supporting & funding people who kill innocent animals. Disappointing.’
Another added: ‘Trail hunting purports to mimic traditional hunting by following an animal-based scent (using fox urine according to the hunters), which has been laid where foxes or hares are likely to be.
‘Crucially, those laying the trail are not meant to tell those controlling the hounds where the scent has been laid, so if the hounds end up following a live scent and killing a wild animal, they can claim they did not know.’
One went onto add: ‘Disappointed beckyvardy – unfollow!!’
‘Absolutely disgusting! Boils my blood how anyone could enjoy this. Unfollow,’ one went onto post.
Councils are under mounting pressure to ban hunts from their land, with activists bombarding town halls with mass emails aimed at ending the meets.
Protesters have also attempted to use Rother District Council’s own dog lead rules against it in a bid to stop another parade in Battle, East Sussex.
In Tiverton, Devon, the town council recently refused to back a motion by Independent councillors that would have signalled its disapproval of the Boxing Day hunt meet in the town, which draws hundreds of spectators as well as anti-hunt activists.
AAF and other protest groups are targeting Boxing Day hunts across the country from Yorkshire to Cornwall, raising objections about their alleged ‘failure to observe the usual health and safety precautions’.
It could lead to a repeat of ugly scuffles between hunt supporters and saboteurs seen in the past.
It comes as Labour was warned to end its attack on trail hunting, as tens of thousands of people gathered across the country for the traditional Boxing Day hunt parades.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party, which is widely tipped to win the next election, has in the past vowed to toughen up the Hunting Act and close ‘loopholes’ to prevent the illegal killing of foxes.
Campaigners have in the past warned the party that trail hunting, where a scent is laid for hounds to follow, is being used as a ‘smokescreen’ for the illegal hunting of foxes.
But Defence Secretary Grant Shapps today slapped down a bid by an animal rights group to stop hunts on Ministry of Defence (MoD) land.
Now, campaign group Countryside Alliance has urged Labour to abandon any plans to reopen the issue of hunting with new legal reforms.
Its chief executive Tim Bonner called on Labour not to bring forward further legislation but instead to ‘right the wrongs of the past’ and end its ‘running attack on rural communities’.
He said: ‘Keir Starmer rightly talks about a future Labour government having respect for rural communities, but that needs to be more than just a catchphrase.
‘Rural communities need to see action and that means working with them to better the countryside, rather than attacking those who live and work in it.’
Tens of thousands of people head out in support of Boxing Day trail hunts, with crowds lining the streets to take pictures and observe the tradition.
It comes after Rebekah said she no longer cares about the Wagatha Christie trial and ‘knows the truth’.
In 2019, Coleen Rooney publicly accused Rebekah of leaking stories from her personal Instagram account to The Sun newspaper, leading to a High Court war, which saw Coleen reign victorious and Rebekah left with a £3m court fee.
However, writing in The Spectator, the mother-of-five insisted she has moved on from the trial that captivated the nation.
She wrote: ‘I certainly didn’t expect what became known as the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial. If you care, you’ll know the details. If you don’t, I’ll spare you: thinking about it is a total waste of time and energy. All I’ll say is that I know the truth, as do many others.’
Rebekah, who was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and didn’t celebrate Christmas a child, divulged her festive plans, saying she doesn’t plan on splashing out big on presents.
She wrote: ‘I go big on decorations, but not really on presents. The way I see it, the most precious gift is time spent with family.’
‘That’s what I’m most looking forward to. And that’s why you don’t have to be religious to say the words that even now make me feel a bit rebellious: Merry Christmas one and all.’
It comes after Coleen reflected on the ‘draining’ and ‘stressful’ Wagatha Christie trial in an interview on BBC Breakfast earlier this month.
Speaking about the Wagatha trial, Coleen admitted: ‘It was just draining and so stressful. It was the unknown going into it.
‘I’d never been into court before, I’d never seen a courtroom before. I just didn’t know what to expect. It was all new and it was scary it was emotional.’
She went on to reveal that she was sitting by herself in the car when the judgement was handed out and detailed what her reaction was like after months of stressful waiting.
She said: ‘My phone started pinging saying “Congratulations, we’re so pleased for you.”
‘It was a bit surreal. I was just sitting there on my own in the car. I didn’t know whether to celebrate or cry. I was a bit numb.
‘Since the verdict, the support’s been unbelievable. I’m grateful for that. When the verdict came out I thought it’s time for me to tell my story. It’s my story to tell.’
Her new book, My Account Coleen Rooney The Autobiography, tells the the Wagatha Christie libel battle from her side.
In her new publication, she gives fans an insight into the 2022 trial and also gives a ‘full account’ of her life, from her childhood to more recent events.
Coleen said she had no worries about sharing intimate details with the world: ‘Why not tell my side of it? I’ve been in the press for more than 20 years.
‘Even though I can be in the papers and stuff day in and day out they don’t really know me as a person which I feel like from the book hopefully they get me a lot more.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
