I’m from Yorkshire and grew up in the countryside. I’d never been on a hunt myself, but was intrigued by it: the tradition and, of course, the controversy surrounding the ban. I was invited to photograph the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt on newcomers’ day. I had visualised the rolling countryside and a misty autumn morning. Both of these were very true — so much so that in the end the hunt could not go out because of too much fog.

Everyone was standing around chatting on the farmland, waiting to see if the hunt would go ahead — it’s a show and an event for them, when they get to show off a bit. People were a bit wary of me at first, but were happy to spend time chatting. They were very proud of hunting.

This little boy was off in his own little patch of the yard, surrounded by fog. There was this moment of emotion, of passion, and I knew I had to catch it.

Before I went, I had wanted to capture what I thought was the definitive hunt photo: the hunt master on his grand horse drinking sherry, red coats and baying hounds. I did get that, but when I later came to pull all my photos together, this was the one that stood out to me. I went away with a new perspective on hunting. It was a very positive experience and there was a real sense of community.

I had spent a long time talking to the hound master. He told me that hounds live in a large pack, sleep in outdoor kennels and are good for nothing when they cannot hunt any longer. They are the epitome of working dogs. Seeing this young boy hugging the hound always makes me smile. It reminds me that, whatever a hound’s career, they are always man’s best friend.

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