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DANISH TRADITIONS

IN PHOTOS: 40,000 see annual Hubertus Hunt

Around 40,000 spectators, including the Royal Family, turned out on Sunday for the annual Danish autumn tradition known as the Hubertus Hunt.

IN PHOTOS: 40,000 see annual Hubertus Hunt
The event draws massive crowds each year. Photo: Simon Læssøe/Scanpix
The Hubertus Hunt (Hubertusjagten) is an 11km steeplechase through the newly-declared Unesco World Heritage site Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen. 
 
The hunt has been held on the first Sunday of November every year since 1900, minus a few exceptions during World War 2. 
 
 
On Sunday, 160 riders took part in the race which presents 32 different obstacles as the course winds through Dyrehaven and past the The Hermitage Palace (Eremitageslottet), constructed between 1734 and 1736 under orders from King Christian VI, who wanted a place to hold extravagant banquets following his royal hunts.
 
The Dyrehaven grounds were designed for Danish kings and their courts for par force hunting, the practice of hunting with specially-trained hounds. Today, there is no actual hunt involved as the riders instead chase after two experienced front runners who have fox tails pinned on to their red jackets. 
 
Click through on the photo below for a gallery of Sunday's action
 
Photo: Simon Læssøe/Scanpix
Photo: Simon Læssøe/Scanpix

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