8th September 2026
On Thursday 4th June Phillip Kennedy, 48, kennel huntsman of the Stowe School Beagles – the hunt of the prestigious Buckinghamshire private school of the same name – pleaded guilty to the illegal hunting of a wild mammal with dogs contrary to the Hunting Act 2005 at Northampton Magistrates Court.
With such overt cruelty and criminality caught on camera, we expected to hear that the hunt would be shut down with immediate effect.
Soon after the court case our Chairperson wrote to Stowe’s Headteacher, Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, to seek clarification on the status of the hunt, but received no reply. Our Chair also submitted a complaint via Stowe School’s portal – again, there was no reply. Predictably, we have also heard nothing from the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), an organisation that purports to be the governing body for all registered hunts, including the Stowe School Beagles.
In fact, the only news we have heard since is that the Stowe School Beagles – far from disbanding – won the Beagle Doghound category at the notorious Festival Of Hounds held by the BHSA at the end of July!
With the hare hunting season getting underway across the country, we now ask you, our supporters, to join us in politely contacting Stowe’s Headteacher urging him to shut down the Stowe School Beagles.
Please see our campaign page to see how you can make your voice heard.
Follow our campaign page here: Shut down the Stowe School Beagles