Cultures of the Chase: Authority, Community and Ritual in the Landscape of British Blood Sports, 1800-1914

Previous studies of British bloodsports have tended to focus solely on elite participants, examining how themes of class and ethnicity have affected the ways in which they visualised and conducted their chosen sports. This thesis takes a slightly different approach, choosing to chart the use of rituals within the cultures of a widely divergent set of blood sports communities across a period of one-hundred and fourteen years. During that time, both the social and the environmental landscapes evolved a good deal which duly shaped how many of these communities chose to represent themselves. However, the one constant was the theme of authority which these different communities were chasing. Across these different cultures, authority was a key part of sporting ritual, designed both to promote the community as a whole and the reputation of the personal protagonist. Whether it was enacted through the mechanisms of gender, class, culture or morality, appearing powerful and in control was what all blood sports enthusiasts desired, whatever their social background. Authority bound these communities together as well as exalting individuals, making them feel protected and accepted in an oft-changing world. Despite the different social demographics, moral standards and geographies over which they indulged in their sports, these feelings of community and authority was what drove them all and continued to inspire their love for the thrill of the chase.