COURSING supporters at the Waterloo Cup were in a defiant mood today despite the failure of a bid to overturn the hunting ban.
The court of appeal rejected arguments by the Countryside Alliance that the 1949 parliament act used to force through the ban was invalid.
Hare coursing supporters were out in force today for the third and last day of what is now certain to be the final Waterloo Cup competition at Altcar, near Formby.
The event had been brought foward to beat the ban which comes into force on Friday.
Liz Mort, spokeswoman for the Countryside Alliance, said: "Those who were there say the judges agreed with a lot of the points we were making which is heartening. We will now go to the House of Lords. Nothing has changed and we will continue to fight."
Waterloo Cup committee chairman David Midwood believes other avenues could be explored to secure the event's future.
He said: "We have every intention of running another cup and we will do everything we possibly can."
Anti-hunt campaigners feel the Countryside Alliance should accept defeat.
Chairman of Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe Tony Moore, who organises a protest march to Withins Field, Altcar, every year, said: "This is very good news. I did not see how they could over-turn an act of parliament."
John Rolls, RSPCA director of animal welfare promotion, said: "The Countryside Alliance must now accept the outcome of the democratic process.
"They would be better off instructing their members to abide by the new law than waste money mounting futile challenges in the courts."
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