Private School Hunt Guilty: Beagle Huntsman Convicted After Drone Footage Shows Hare Killing & ‘Sick Celebrations’

A huntsman from the beagle pack of an elite Buckinghamshire private school has pleaded guilty to illegal hunting, following shocking drone footage that captured a hare being chased, cornered, and killed—before hunt members, including schoolboys, were seen congratulating each other over the carcass.

Philip Kennedy, 48, kennel huntsman of the Stowe Beagles, the hunt attached to Stowe School, entered his plea at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 4th June, for illegally hunting a wild mammal with dogs, contrary to the Hunting Act 2005.

The incident took place on 13th November 2025 on land belonging to Crockwell Farm, a wedding venue and B&B near Eydon, Northamptonshire, after the hunt had met there.

Drone footage obtained by the Hunt Saboteurs Association shows a hare being chased across an open field by the beagle pack, with hunt members watching from the sidelines. The animal is eventually caught and killed by the beagles along a fence line.

Within moments of the kill, three hunt members, some believed to be schoolboys, approach the scene and immediately shake hands. As more members arrive, the celebrations continue while the beagle pack begins to break up the dead hare.

Philip Kennedy can be seen in the footage shaking hands with another hunt member, believed to be a pupil, standing over the kill site.

Despite the clear evidence of illegal hunting, Kennedy was fined just £258, with a £103 victim surcharge and £585 in CPS costs a penalty the Hunt Saboteurs Association has called “pathetic.”

Kennedy is listed on the Stowe School website under the ‘Games Department’ as holding the ‘Stowe Beagles’ position. Stowe is one of several exclusive schools and colleges in the UK that operate their own beagle packs, offering hunting as an extracurricular activity. Students take on active roles including hunting hounds, whipping-in, and positions on the hunt mastership.

Hunt Saboteurs Association spokesperson said:

“Once again, we have another court case and more footage shining a light on the illegal activities of hunts today, this time a hare‑killing beagle pack.”

“The sick celebrations of these hunters lay bare their intent. But what makes this case even more shocking is the fact that school children were not only present and participating, but that the illegal activity was organised and facilitated by their school.”

“This isn’t just an illegal hunting and animal cruelty issue — it’s a safeguarding issue. We need to see urgent action by the Government, bringing forward a real ban on hunting with hounds, and for school hunts such as the Stowe Beagles to be shut down with immediate effect.”