ONCE again, we have seen the macabre spectacle of the Waterloo Cup - hare-coursing's most prestigious event of the year.

This disgusting bloodsport involves two greyhounds chasing a hare across a field, occasionally leading to the death of the hare.

Defenders of this appalling event say only a small proportion of the hare population are courses. But this is no justification for the continuation of the 'sport'.

Indeed, decreasing hare numbers mean that in time an even larger percentage of them will be coursed.

Its supporters also say hare-coursing is traditional. Again, how does this make it right?

It may have survived for medieval times but, if any more of these 'traditions' survived, maybe we would still throw elderly women into rivers to ascertain if they are witches and perhaps mentally-ill people would still be exorcised or even executed for being possessed by demons!

They add that it is natural for greyhounds to hunt hares in this way. This may be so, but is it natural for humans to leer at the spectacle?

GRAHAM J ASPIN, Victoria Avenue, Cherry Tree, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.