Rebekah Vardy has returned to riding just days after she was criticized for sharing snaps of herself hiking in the countryside.
The 41-year-old WAG looked typically chic in a white blouse and black coat, along with a glamorous make-up look.
Rebekah added a helmet for safety as she posed for a selfie with her white horse, writing: “I love him!”
This came after Rebekah shared a gallery of images and a video on Instagram of herself trying out a new horse while joining a large group of hunters taking part in the Boxing Day tradition where the real action takes place is imitated without the use of live foxes.
It was a move that sparked backlash from some of Rebekah's followers, as trail hunting had previously been described as a “front” for the actual hunting and killing of wild animals, which was banned in 2004.
Rebekah Vardy has returned to riding just days after she was criticized for sharing snaps of herself hiking in the countryside
The 41-year-old WAG looked typically chic in a white blouse and black coat as she posed for a selfie with her white horse, writing: “I love him!”
Rebekah penned a defiant caption, quickly clarifying that “no animals were harmed in the process” and joking that she was merely suffering from a “headache” after a trip to the pub hours later.
Rebekah wrote: “Fox hunt – no animals were hurt.” Great days with fun rides and trail hunts to try out a new horse. Great trip and even better port and mulled wine at our stop at the Durham Ox Pub.
“NO animals were hurt, just sore heads.”
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales following the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004, which bans the hunting of wild mammals with dogs.
Tens of thousands of people turn out to support the Boxing Day track hunt, with crowds lining the streets to take photos and observe the tradition.
The hunts create an animal scent trail – using fox urine – in areas where foxes or rabbits are likely to be present.
However, the act of tracking remains controversial because the tracker is not supposed to tell the dog controllers where the track was laid.
If a hunting dog follows the trail of a live animal, the hunting authority can claim that it did not know and is not responsible.
Rebekah's post sparked intense backlash from users who took to the comments section of her posts.
One wrote: “We all know it's not a clue.” You just have to dig deeper to know that. By leaving you are supporting and funding people who kill innocent animals. Disappointing.'
Another added: “Track hunting is intended to mimic traditional hunting by following an animal scent (according to hunters using fox urine) placed where foxes or rabbits are likely to be.”
This came after Rebekah took to social media to share a defense post after documenting her day tracking in the countryside
The WAG shared a gallery of pictures on Instagram of her trying out a new horse while riding through the countryside and taking part in the annual Boxing Day tradition
“Crucially, those who lay the scent are not supposed to tell those who control the dogs where the scent has been laid. So if the dogs end up following a live scent and killing a wild animal, they can claim they didn’t know.”
One added: “Disappointed Beckyvardy – unfollow!!”
'Absolutely disgusting! It makes my blood boil how anyone could enjoy this. “Unfollow,” one person responded to the post.
Local councils are under increasing pressure to ban hunting on their land, and activists are bombarding town halls with mass emails aimed at shutting down the gatherings.
Protesters have also attempted to use Rother District Council's dog leash rules against it to prevent another parade in Battle, East Sussex.
In Tiverton, Devon, the town council recently refused to support a motion by independent councilors which would have expressed its opposition to the town's Boxing Day hunting meeting, which attracts hundreds of spectators and anti-hunting campaigners.
The AAF and other protest groups are targeting Boxing Day hunts across the country, from Yorkshire to Cornwall, objecting to what they say is a “failure to adhere to normal health and safety precautions”.
There could be a repeat of the ugly clashes between hunting supporters and saboteurs as in the past.
This comes at a time when Labor has been warned to end its attack on trail hunting, as tens of thousands of people gathered across the country for the traditional Boxing Day hunting parades.
Sir Keir Starmer's party, widely seen as the winner of the next election, has in the past promised to tighten hunting laws and close “loopholes” to prevent the illegal killing of foxes.
Proving she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, Rebekah also shared a snap of herself mucking out the stables before the hunt
It was a move that sparked backlash from some of Rebekah's followers, as trail hunting had previously been described as a “front” for the actual hunting and killing of wild animals
Activists have warned the party in the past that tracking, which involves laying a trail for dogs to follow, is being used as a “pretext” for illegally hunting foxes.
But Defense Secretary Grant Shapps today rejected an animal rights group's attempt to stop hunting on Ministry of Defense (MoD) premises.
Now campaign group Countryside Alliance has called on Labor to abandon any plans to revisit hunting through new legislative reforms.
Its chief executive Tim Bonner called on Labor not to bring forward any further legislation but instead to “right the wrongs of the past” and end its “persistent attack on rural communities”.
He said: “Keir Starmer is right to talk about a future Labor government respecting rural communities, but that needs to be more than just a slogan.”
“Rural communities need to act, and that means working with them to improve the landscape rather than attacking those who live and work there.”
Tens of thousands of people turn out to support the Boxing Day track hunt, with crowds lining the streets to take photos 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 war in the Supreme Court, with Coleen reigning victorious and Rebekah with a court fee of £3 million eliminated.
However, writing for The Spectator, the mother of five insisted she had moved on from the trial that captivated the nation.
She wrote: “I certainly did not expect what became known as the 'Wagatha Christie' trial.” If you're interested, you know the details. If you don't, I'll save you: thinking about it is a complete waste of time and energy. All I can say is that I know the truth, like many others.'
Rebekah, who grew up as a Jehovah's Witness and didn't celebrate Christmas as a child, revealed her festive plans and said she doesn't plan on spending a lot of money on gifts.
She wrote: “I value decorations, but not really gifts. In my opinion, the most valuable gift is the time we spend 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 make me a little rebellious even now: “Merry Christmas everyone.”
This comes after Coleen reflected on the “exhausting” and “stressful” Wagatha Christie trial in an interview on BBC Breakfast earlier this month.
Speaking about the Wagatha process, Coleen admitted: “It was just exhausting and so stressful.” It was the unknown going in.
“I'd never been to 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 further revealed that she was alone in the car when the verdict was announced and detailed how she reacted after months of stressful waiting.
Rebekah wrote a defiant caption, quickly clarifying that “no animals were harmed in the process” and joking that she simply suffered from a “headache” after a trip to the pub
Local councils are under increasing pressure to ban hunting on their land, and activists are bombarding town halls with mass emails aimed at shutting down the gatherings
She said: “My phone started pinging and said, 'Congratulations, we're so happy for you.'
“It was a bit surreal. I just sat there alone in the car. I didn't know whether to celebrate or cry. I was a little numb.
“The support since the verdict has been incredible.” I’m grateful for that. When the verdict was announced, I thought it was time to tell my story. It's my story that I want to tell.'
Her new book, My Account Coleen Rooney The Autobiography, tells the Wagatha Christie libel battle from her perspective.
In her new publication, she gives fans a glimpse into the 2022 trial and also gives a “full account” of her life, from her childhood to more recent events.
Coleen said she has no qualms about sharing intimate details with the world: “Why don't I tell my side of it?” I've been in the press for more than 20 years.
“Even though I can be in the newspapers day in and day out, they don't really know me as a person, as I know from the book. Hopefully they’ll get me a lot more.”
What is track hunting, how does it differ from traditional fox hunting and why is it controversial?
Trail hunting was developed as part of the 2004 Hunting Act. The aim was to legally recreate traditional fox hunting as much as possible, without including the illegal element – hunting and killing a live fox.
When tracking, a trail is laid across the country, which a pack of dogs then searches for and follows with their noses. This is usually done by dragging a sock, cloth or bag soaked in fox urine across the floor.
The hunters do not know the trail in advance and therefore have to pick up and follow it with their dogs. The path usually passes through difficult terrain such as moors, ditches and hedgerows to make it more of a challenge for riders.
Animal rights activists complain that hunting dogs regularly visit the crime scene of a live fox, which is then chased and killed. The League Against Cruel Sports claims that trail hunting is a front for illegal hunting, designed to deceive authorities and make it very difficult to prosecute illegal hunters.