Cheese Rolling Trivia

1. Cheeserollers meet at Cooper's Hill on Spring Bank Holiday Monday. There are three men's races and one woman's race. If you want to race, what do you need to do?

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: Turn up at the top of the hill

Previously there were up to forty racers per race, but St John Ambulance, a volunteer organisation, complained that they did not have enough members to treat the invariable casualties.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: Gloucestershire, England

Cooper's Hill is in a village called Brockworth in England. It is a few miles outside the city of Gloucester on an old Roman road that connected Gloucester to Cirencester. The hill has a 1:2 gradient, which means that for every 1 unit you travel vertically, you travel 2 units horizontally. That's the same as a 50% inline, or a 30 degree angle. It's pretty steep!

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: An eight pound wheel of Double Gloucester

Diana Smart and her son Rod have been providing the cheese for the races since 1988. A foam disc was used in 2013 after police warned a then-86 year-old Mrs Smart that she could be held responsible for injuries as the event has no clear commissioner, but regular cheese has been used since. Wooden discs of equivalent size were used from 1941 to 1954 due to rationing. The Ministry of Food gave special permission to use a small amount of genuine cheese in the middle of the disc. A forty pound wheel of New Zealand cheddar was donated by the New Zealand Dairy Products Marketing Commission to celebrate the return of full-size cheeses after World War II. It must have been terrifying!

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: Someone who made barrels

A cooper is someone who makes barrels out of wood. As metal and plastic became preferred materials for storage, there were fewer coopers in Britain. At the beginning of the 21st century there were only a small number of coopers remaining. The skills are still used for making casks for wines and spirits. Cooper is a common surname in Britain. Anyone with that surname probably had a cooper as a ancestor at some point in history.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: Lifetime most races won

He tied Stephen Gyde's record of 21 cheeses in the first race, and then made a surprise appearance in the third race, which he also won! Despite having won roughly 175 lbs of Double Gloucester, Anderson ate none of it as he only likes cheddar! He has been known to auction-off the cheeses to make money for Joseph's Goal, a charity set up to fund research into Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: Competitors chase it down the hill.

A wheel of cheese rolls down the hill and people run down after it. Competitors aim to catch the cheese, and the first to the bottom of the hill is the winner. Due to the steepness of the hill, injuries are very common. In 2009, there were 58 casualties, and 11 people were taken to hospital. Usually the injuries are minor, but concussions, neck injuries, and dislocated shoulders have been known to happen.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: Won all three races in one day

Not only did he accomplish this incredible feat. he managed it twice! He held the record for most races won over a lifetime until Chris Anderson equalled and then beat him in 2018! If you guessed "First to win the race whilst under the influence" you may be surprised to learn that racers often reach for some liquid courage before they race, traditionally in the form of scrumpy.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: Double Gloucester

Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down Cooper's Hill. Cheese rolling is an event that dates back centuries, so when it began, locals would have used local produce like Double Gloucester. Between 1941 and 1954, cheese was rationed due to the war. A wooden cheese was used for cheese rolling instead. It was wrapped and decorated with ribbons like the cheese usually was, and had a hole in the centre for a tiny piece of cheese. Organisers had special permission from the Ministry of Food to use a piece of real cheese.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: woman to win three separate years

Early also won in 2008 and 2016. Remember there is only one woman's race per year, whilst there are at least three men's races, so this is quite an accomplishment. Though she did dislocate her right shoulder, I can't imagine she was the first winner to suffer such an injury, and sincerely doubt she'll be the last!

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: Spring bank holiday

Spring bank holiday in the UK is usually at the end of May. When it rains, the mud on the hill is softer. Casualties are reported less frequently in rainy conditions. On dry days, however, the ground is harder and more competitors are injured. Cheese rolling used to be held on Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday), which was the first Monday after Pentecost.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: 15,000

Over 15,000 spectators turned up in 2009. At three times the site's capacity, organisers were concerned about health and safety. Local people had also complained about damage to property by spectators who had tried to climb fences in order to get a better view. Cheese rolling was officially cancelled in 2010 due to issues with public liability insurance, but locals volunteered to run the event 'unofficially'.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: You will be caught or tackled by a rugby player

This is done to reduce the momentum of the runner before they hit the safety fencing. The Cheese Rollers pub is a real pub in the nearby village of Shurdington, though there are two other pubs closer to Cooper's Hill.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: Someone at the bottom of the hill who catches the racers

Catchers are volunteers at the bottom of the hill. In previous years they have been members of a local rugby club. Their job is to 'catch' runners as they reach the bottom of the hill to prevent them from crashing into the safety barriers. Sometimes, they help to carry injured competitors to the bottom of the hill. Being a catcher is dangerous, too: in 2009, four volunteer catchers were injured.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: No safety measures are in place

A 59 year-old grandmother was knocked out by an errant cheese in 1990. She was one of 22 recorded casualties that year.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: Lightning stuck eight spectators

Four adults and four children were zapped by lightning during a sudden thunderstorm during the 1982 races. The racing resumed as soon as the rain cleared. One of the boys hit by lightning wound up competing ten years later, when he broke his thighbone, resulting in an 18-inch pin in his leg.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: A wheel of cheese

Between 1988 and 2017, the Double Gloucester cheese used in the event was made by Diana Smart. According to the official cheese rolling website, she was the only person in Gloucestershire to make Double Gloucester cheese by hand. Smart used milk from her own herd of cows to make it, using traditional methods. Winners get to keep a wheel of cheese, and second and third place also get a small prize.

From Quiz Cheese Rolling 101

Answer: 15,000

It's one way to spend your bank holiday! Just don't forget to bring the crackers.

From Quiz A Revolutionary Idea

Answer: A wheel of cheese was rolled down the hill.

To maintain the annual tradition of cheese rolling, a wheel of Double Gloucester was sent down Cooper's Hill, even though no one chased after it. In 1998, the event was cancelled due to concerns about health and safety. There was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in the UK in 2001. Members of the public were advised not to go into the countryside, therefore the cheese rolling event didn't happen. In 2003, SARAID (a search and rescue group) were called to an emergency. Without their support, the event couldn't run because, along with St John's Ambulance, they provided first aid.

This is category 23077

= Top 5% Rated Quiz, Top 10% Rated Quiz, Top 20% Rated Quiz, A Well Rated Quiz
= added recently, = Editor's Pick = FunTrivia Editor = Gold Member
Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.