Lazing Around the Paddock Trivia Quiz

Answer: Zorbing

In 1974 Dwane van der Sluis and Andrew Akers developed the zorb, a double-layer sphere (to provide some shock absorbancy over bumps) large enough for humans to stand inside and, either harnessed or free-standing, maneuver the ball down a hill. The first commercial zorbing park was set up in Rotorua, and the sport has since spread worldwide.

Guinness World Records recognises a number of records associated with this sport, including one set by English cricketer Andrew Flintoff (better known to fans as Freddie Flintoff) as part of his plan to set 12 world records in 12 hours to raise money for the charity BBC Sport Relief in 2012. He managed the fastest 100m zorb, covering the distance in 26.59 seconds.

Despite the fact that the paddock looks like an ideal zorbing spot, Looney_tunes had to inform Ralph that the team needed to visit an actual zorbing venue, where appropriate safety measures can be put in place.

Answer: Croquet

The origins of the modern game of croquet are actually a little unclear, possibly coming to England directly from France during the late 17th century or perhaps by way of Ireland in the 19th century. Both routes seem to be able to look back to the game popular from the 15th century on in France called 'jeu de mail'.

The earliest document outlining the rules of croquet dates back to 1856 in London.

There are different variations of the game, including different numbers of wickets, but the basics of the game are the same: using your mallet, strike your ball through a number of wickets (hoops) in a specific order, and be the first to get your ball to touch the stake after the last wicket.

Of course, using your ball to knock an opponent's ball out of the way is half the fun!

Answer: Hoppers

Hoppers are often referred to as "Cloudhoppers" after one of the best known brands.

They don't have a gondola, just a harness, similar to a parachute rig, which suspends the rider below the balloon envelope.

Answer: Skittles

Kyykkä is commonly known as Finnish skittles. Its origins can be traced to the Northern European region of Karelia, which today overlaps modern day Finland and Russia. In kyykkä, players throw wooden skittle bats at the skittles and try to remove them from the area designated as the playing ground.

The fewer number of attempts used, the higher the points. The game can be played individually as well as in teams of two or four. If this short description has sufficiently piqued your interest, you can also check out the World Championships where kyykkä is one three skittle games that participants compete in.

Answer: Bar billiards

Bar billiards in its present form dates from the first half of the twentieth century and evolved from a game known as Russian billiards that was popular in France and Belgium. It is unclear whether there ever was a Russian link or whether it was so named to make it appear more exotic. Like snooker and billiards it is played on a table with green felt but that is where any similarity ends.

In bar billiards players take shots and build breaks from just one end of the table. There are eight balls with which to play (seven white and one red); nine holes in which to pot and three mushroom-shaped pegs to avoid knocking over.

Answer: Hyzer

Disc golf is in interesting and surprisingly technical game that makes use of tricky courses, player dexterity, and specially-designed discs made to provide a balanced arsenal depending on the player's need. In the game, all you need to do is throw your disc with the aim to land it in a chained basket and, like in golf, the fewest strokes means the best score. Typically, the discs are divided out into drivers, mid-range discs, and putters, each with their own ratings based on disc material, ridges, weight, and size. Each of these flies just a bit differently; skilled players can master straight throws, but technical prowess comes from performing hyzers (or anhyzers) to maneuver discs around obstacles.

Tournaments quickly went international after the game found popularity in the 2000s and 2010s (especially in North America and Scandinavia). There are disc golf courses on every continent, usually built by fans of the sport.

Answer: Tweeting

Birdwatching is a popular pastime that can be done with the naked eye (and a good ear to hear birdsong), but is often accompanies with binoculars or telescopes to be able to see birds from a greater distance, as well as cameras. Birdwatchers often have a list of birds they are trying to espy in a given region, or are keen to find a new bird that hasn't been seen in a given region before.

And yes, birding is also a competition sport, where competitors are challenged to identify as many species as possible within a specific area and a specific timeframe.

As a term, 'birdwatching' was first used in the late 19th century, and the term 'bird' used as a verb ('birding') in 1918. 'Twitching' is of British origin and refers to someone who travels a long distance to find a rare bird. It was first used in the 1950s and originated with the nervous behaviour of birdwatcher Howard Medhurst.

Incidentally, bananquits are found in the warmer parts of the Americas, and they are songbirds (passerines) who enjoy nectar as their primary food source (nectarivores).

Answer: Voulez-vous crochet avec moi ce soir?

Crochet is a fascinating hobby, and the name comes from the French term for "small hook".

By using different diameters of hook and yarn, crochet practitioners can produce work from the finest of lace to thick woollen blankets and jerseys.

As well as crochet, Rowena8482 likes to knit "things" - although not every project turns out quite as she intended it... :-D

Answer: Squash

"Come on over for some squash" may have been open to misinterpretation. Squash is an indoor ball-and-racquet game played in a court with four walls. Players must hit the small rubber ball so that it bounces off the front wall in a specified area - above the tin which makes a distinctive noise when a ball is too low, and below the out-of-bounds line. The ball may bounce off any of the other three walls before hitting the front wall, but must not touch the floor or go out of bounds. A player who does not make a legitimate shot loses the point.

Looney_tunes hopes Ralph can work out how to hold the racket in his mouth, as his feet lack the requisite opposable thumb for a successful grip.

Answer: Horseshoes

Typically, horseshoes is played by two individuals, or two teams of two, alternating horseshoe tosses. At a distance of 40 feet (12 meters), opponents toss their horseshoes at a (usually metal) stake sticking out of the ground, often set in a sandbox. If someone gets their horseshoe so close as to have it encircle the stake, it is called a ringer and is worth three points. If needed, a straight edge can be used to touch the ends of the horseshoe (called heel calks) to determine if it is fully encircled.

Two points are earned if the horseshoe ends up leaning against the stake, while one point is earned if the best that can be managed is the closest horseshoe to the stake.

There are two ways to count the points: The first is cancellation (where only one person gets to score each round, or none, if ringers or leaners cancel each other out). For instance, if one opponent scores two ringers and the other only one, then one set of ringers cancel each other, and the first opponent only earns three points; The second is count-all, where all ringers and leaners earn points, regardless of which opponent earned them.

Games are typically played to a score of 21, with a requirement to win by two points.

Looking at the horseshoes, reedy Llama is glad that he doesn't have to wear shoes like that.