 URL pro hunt activists target top sight one of yorkshire s most famous sights yesterday became one of the first targets in bizarre attacks on white horse landmarks linked to the hunting debate villagers near thirsk could not believe their eyes when they woke yesterday to find the famous white horse of kilburn had acquired a rider during the night in another incident the uffington white horse in oxfordshire had a huntsman and three hounds added to the ancient figure which is thought to represent a celtic god or tribal symbol pro hunt activists in the real countryside alliance rca a radical alternative to the better known countryside alliance admitted responsibility last night for targeting the two images the NUMBERft by NUMBERft landmark at kilburn has been lovingly preserved since it was carved in the limestone by schoolmaster john hodgson and his pupils in NUMBER but during monday night someone nailed on a massive figure of a huntsman with a horn which had been cut to scale out of a single piece of white carpet it was removed yesterday by members of kilburn white horse association who found a countryside alliance badge attached to the carpet john roberts of the association said it has obviously been very well organised it was a well crafted piece of kit a figure of a huntsman with a horn cut out of carpets it was big and impressive and could be seen for miles about they tied it to bushes at the top and nailed it down it caused all the stone chippings to be pushed downwards which will help turn the white horse grey it will not get another refit for another year whoever did it must have come with a vehicle a tractor and trailer or a lorry because the carpet must have come in one piece it was extremely well planned and took several people an hour and a half to get it off the sculpture needs constant work because unlike chalk horses in the south of england it is cut into limestone which is the wrong colour and needs whitening mr roberts added the damage as such is not great but it adds to the deterioration which means it will need more work next time we would have more sympathy if having made the point they would come to take it away again because it was a major job andy wilson chief executive of the north york moors national park said it is a scheduled ancient monument and the local residents are very proud of it and go to enormous trouble to keep it white there is also careful consideration of what shape it should be kept with the constant growth of vegetation so you can understand the alarm and regret at any changes there has not been a cut in the turf which would be much more of a problem it would seem it was carefully plotted beforehand an rca spokesman said some people in the country are getting very frustrated at the inaction all we want is ministers to take notice marches don t seem to be doing anything good the countryside alliance said it did not have any part in the action spokesman adrian yelland said the countryside alliance only ever advocates campaigning that is lawful and dissociates itself from acts of vandalism and regrets any damage that may have been caused by this incident the incident follows graffiti on road signs and motorway bridges in yorkshire thought to be rca work yahoo groups sponsor NUMBER dvds free s p join now URL to unsubscribe from this group send an email to forteana unsubscribe URL your use of yahoo groups is subject to URL 