1,500 spectators welcome the new year hunt to town

NEARLY 1,500 people turned up to see Carmarthen's annual New YearHunt.

While the crowds flocked to Guildhall Square for the annualspectacle, rider numbers were down due to recent bitter conditions.

Many of the riders chose to stay away as they had been unable toexercise their horses for weeks due to the rock-hard groundconditions.

More than 20 riders donned their red coats, visiting old folkshomes in Johnstown before making their way past the town's MansellArms and Boars Head pub, thrilling the crowds as they assembled inGuildhall Square prior to the hunt itself.

Some 20 members of the League Against Cruel Sports staged aprotest in …