THE Waterloo Cup is set to go ahead this year and will take place at the Withins, Altcar, on February 26, 27 and 28.
The event fell victim to last year's foot and mouth crisis but organisers say they are back on track and raring to go with this year's event.
Highly regarded among coursing and country sports professionals, the Waterloo Cup attracts vast publicity for a number of reasons.
There are those who see it as the highlight of the sporting year and a tradition to be cherished while others say it serves no purpose and inflicts unnecessary pain on animals.
The Government is still to take a decision on banning countryside sports as the last Parliamentary term ran out before a final vote in the House of Commons could be taken.
A protest involving individuals and members of several animal protection groups will be staged at the hare coursing event on February 26, but demonstrators are confident their point will be made peacefully.
Police from Lancashire and Merseyside with attend the event and say they are more than happy for each side to exercise their rights in an orderly way.
Ugly scenes, nicknamed "The Battle of Waterloo" accompanied the event in 1988 when over 1000 protested attended and efforts are being made to ensure future protests are co-ordinated and carried out safely with minimal disturbance to local residents.
Visitors from all sides of the equation are confident this can be avoided in 2002.
Today the ECHO explores the traditions of the cup and the views of various people who attend the event for very different reasons.
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