Watch: Huntswoman Filmed Repeatedly Whipping Anti-Hunting Protester

A huntswoman was filmed whipping a group of anti-fox hunting protesters at a Saturday morning hunt in East Sussex, England. Footage of the altercation was uploaded on Facebook by the Brighton Hunt Saboteurs, a group dedicated to "protecting wildlife through non-violent direct action," The Telegraph reported Monday.

The hunt was organized by the East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt Club (ESRMH). It was crashed by a group of Brighton Hunt Saboteurs who targeted a huntswoman and touched her horse in an attempt to sabotage the hunt. The four-minute video showed the rider screaming and fighting a masked man trying to grab her horse’s reins.

In the video, the woman can be heard yelling, “Get off my horse,” while hitting one protester with her riding crop multiple times. As she whipped the protester, another person tried, unsuccessfully, to pull the man away from the huntswoman. Once the whipping stopped, the person filming the video can be heard saying, “Don’t charge horses into people. You cannot ride people down, and that’s exactly what just happened.” The huntswoman then used her whip on protesters standing too close to her horse. The victim allegedly received a bruise and a bump on the head but did not need medical assistance.

An ESRMH spokesperson released a statement saying that the club does not condone violence.

“The hunt acts lawfully within the confines of the Hunting Act 2004 and takes every measure to ensure the law is adhered to,” they said, adding that members of the group had been subjected to “extreme provocation, personal harassment and other offenses.”

The Hunting Act 2004 is a United Kingdom Parliamentary act first enforced in 2005. It banned the hunting of wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales. However, the act stated that dogs could still be used to flush out an identified wild mammal and to follow an artificial scent.

A Countryside Alliance spokesperson also commented on the incident, saying those who protest hunting do not do it for the sake of the animals.

“The reality of the anti-hunting movement is far more about the hatred of people who hunt than the love of animals,” the said. “Hunts comply with the Hunting Act 2004, however, they are still plagued by balaclava-clad animal rights activists who intimidate and harass hunt supporters and landowners.”

Sussex Police said a third party reported the assault, but they are still asking more witnesses to come forward. Since the original report, authorities have identified the victim and launched an investigation surrounding the incident.