Latest news with #Brockworth
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Daredevil dressed as wizard somersaults down hill chasing 3kg wheel of cheese in wild competition
A fearless contestant performed a massive somersault before slamming into the ground during an annual cheese rolling event in the UK. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake event is held every year in May at Brockworth near Gloucester, England. The mystery man, who was dressed as a wizard, was attempting to break the course record for fastest descent when he did the cartoon-style flip. (Watch in the video player above). Some audience members struggled to watch as the speedster landed flat on his back after the acrobatic fall. Incredibly, he managed to escape without breaking any bones during the event on Monday. He joined dozens of others in the unofficial competition to chase a wheel of Double Gloucester down the steep grassy slope. Gardener Will Matthews, 23, from Glosucester was in the same race and spoke to the man at the top. 'He was dressed as a wizard and he said his name was Tye,' he said. 'Apparently he was trying to break the record for the fastest descent. 'I understand he was in the pub afterwards. There were a few people who had to go to hospital with injuries but he wasn't one of them. 'I'm feeling very sore today so he must be really feeling it.' The annual cheese rolling festival, which has gone on for over 200 years, attracts people from all over the world determined to keep the strange tradition alive. Fellow entrant Will, who was taking part in the eccentric competition for the first time, said it was 'exhilarating'. 'It's definitely something ticked off my bucket list,' he said. 'I think my mum would kill me if I tried to do it again.' The second men's race was delayed briefly after a contestant was carried away from the first event on a stretcher. German YouTuber Tom Kopke won the event for the second year in a row. Speaking after the event, he said: 'All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title, but this is mine. 'I worked for this. I risked my life for this. It's my cheese back to back. 'This year was different. I shut off my brain and went for it.'
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Kiwi 'couldn't breathe, couldn't talk' after cheese race win in UK
Participants take part in the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, England, Monday, May 27, 2024. Photo: AP / Jacob King A New Zealand man who emerged victorious from an annual race in England - where participants fling themselves down a hill in an effort to catch a wheel of cheese - says he won't be competing in the event again. According to an Associated Press report on last year's event , races have been held at Cooper's Hill, since at least 1826, and the sport of cheese-rolling is believed to be much older. Thousands of people turn out to watch trhe event and cheer on the competitors, the report said. Byron Smith told Morning Report he had suffered a broken rib, a collapsed lung and internal injuries while winning this year's Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake near the city of Gloucester. "I did the race last year and I came out scot free because it was a lot wetter so it was more of a slip and slide. "This year it was quite dry and I just remember banging and tumbling the whole way down. "When I stood up couldn't really breathe, couldn't really talk and figured I must have banged my ribcage on something," Smith said. The traditional event attracts people from around the globe who come to chase a 7lb Double Gloucester cheese down the steep Coopers Hill. Photo: AP / Jacob King Smith said he had become a minor celebrity in the London hospital where he was recovering but he'd told his wife, if he won, he would not attempt the race again. "She's actually a nurse and she probably thinks it's a waste of public resources - which isn't that far off." Smith said he was looking forward to sharing his victor's spoils of four blocks of cheese with his friends - when he got out of hospital.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘I risked my life for this': YouTuber wins cheese-rolling race two years in a row
The idea of a perfect spring bank holiday for most of us involves lazing around at home and barely lifting a finger. For a select number of daredevils flocking to Gloucestershire, however, the day is spent chasing a wheel of cheese down a hill. The annual tradition, thought to date back to 1826, sees competitors sprint, trip and tumble down Cooper's Hill near Brockworth to try to win an 8lb wheel of double gloucester. The cheese is given a head start of a few seconds and is said to roll down the hill at about 70mph. The cheese is chased 200 yards (182 metres) down the 1:2 gradient hill. The first person to the bottom wins the cheese. Among this year's winners were a YouTuber and university student raising money for refugees and homeless people. The recent dry spell of weather made the racetrack harder, slower and more dangerous for the competitors who were cheered on by thousands of supporters. The German YouTuber Tom Kopke, 23, from Munich, was the winner of the first men's downhill race, retaining the title he won last year. 'It was crazy. This year was different,' he said. 'Last year the hill was muddy and this year it was dry and dangerous and people got injured. 'I shut off my brain and went for it. All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title but this is mine. I worked for this. I risked my life for this. It's my cheese. Back to back.' Longtime cheese-maker Rod Smart, who has produced cheese for the chase for more than 25 years, once again provided the wheels for this year's event. Four cheeses weighing about 3kg each and three smaller ones, weighing about 1.5kg, are used. The women's race was won by Ava Sender Logan, 20, who was racing for the Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh. 'This is my first time,' the university student from London said. 'I thought it was such a tradition, and I will probably feel it tomorrow. 'I can't believe it, I can't believe it. It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head. I'm down, that's what matters. I'm fine.' The second men's race was won by Luke Preece, from Gloucester, who flew down the hill dressed in a Superman costume. 'I am absolutely buzzed, amazing … the adrenaline,' he said afterwards. 'My dad did it, I can't believe it, it's amazing.' The final men's downhill race was won by Byron Smith, 33, from New Zealand, who had to settle for second place last year. 'It feels great, yeah,' he said. 'I did it last year and came second in my heat and I thought I could do it this year and I did.' Since 2010, the event has been staged unofficially after health and safety fears caused the official competition to be cancelled when more than 15,000 people turned up to watch the 2009 competition. Since then, it has been held with the police keeping a watchful eye. Local roads have been closed up to two-and-a-half miles around the slope. In 2013, the wheel of cheese was replaced with a lightweight foam version over safety fears but, the next year, the real deal returned for good. The origin of the competition is unknown. Some believe it came from claiming grazing rights on the common and land around Cooper's Hill; others think it could have been a fertility ritual. The popularity of the contest has boomed in recent years, with competitors and TV crews travelling from around the world. The BBC has even livestreamed the races, with the broadcaster sometimes having to apologise for the ripe language spluttered at the adrenaline-fuelled event.
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘I don't even like cheese', says winner of cheese-rolling competition
A champion of the Gloucestershire cheese-rolling competition has admitted she does not 'like cheese'. Eva, a 20-year-old Londoner, won the first women's race at the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake in the village of Brockworth, Gloucestershire. She told the BBC that she does not actually 'like cheese' despite winning the 7lb Double Gloucester wheel in one of Britain's most dangerous downhill races. Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake is an annual event in which racers from far and wide gather at the top of Cooper's Hill and chase a wheel of cheese. The race includes uphill and downhill races for adults and children. Considered an extreme sport and one of the UK's most difficult downhill races, spectators gather to cheer on the competitors who chase the cheese down the incredibly steep hill. The winner gets to keep the cheese. 'It's such a cool tradition,' said Eva, who took home the Double Gloucester as a first-time racer down Cooper's Hill. While some competitors may opt to run, bounce, or slide down the slope, Eva used the unusual tactic of throwing herself down the hill while holding her head. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she said she did not remember much of her tumble downhill. The competition is not for the faint of heart as trips and stumbles are common as the racers tear down the hill after the Double Gloucester, which can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. One competitor was taken to hospital from injuries sustained from the first men's race. Another victor of this year's event was Ariel Dempsey, an American PhD candidate at Oxford University, who won the mixed uphill race, but only because she had left her phone at the top of the hill. 'I did the downhill race and left my phone up here with someone. I thought the uphill race would be the best way back up,' said Ms Dempsey, who spontaneously decided to take part in the race on the morning of the event. The annual cheese-rolling competition is thought to have started at least 600 years ago as a festival to mark the beginning of summer, with racers and spectators joining the festivities from increasingly further afield. Seven racers ambled away with cheese wheels, including two locals. Dressed as Superman, Gloucester resident Luke Briggs said he had been 'waiting 30 years' to win at Cooper's Hill, having come close to victory in previous years. 'My dad won it a few times, I came back for him,' said Mr Briggs. The second local victor was Alfie Townsend, who wore football boots which he said helped him keep his balance on the slope. He said the event was 'pretty important to him' as his mother also ran the races and he had won another event two years ago. His mother Carla said: 'I'm chuffed. I've still got his cheese from two years ago wrapped up in the fridge.' The final cheese wheel of the day was taken home by Byron, who came all the way from New Zealand in what was the closest race of the day. 'I think maybe 15 years ago I saw someone do it and I wanted to follow his footsteps,' Byron said.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
That's gouda hurt! First-timer who 'doesn't like cheese' wins women's Cheese Rolling race before punter dressed as Superman rolls to victory in men's contest
Hardy daredevils have been throwing themselves downhill as Gloucestershire's renowned cheese rolling contest rolled back into action. Eager participants marked this May Bank Holiday Monday by hurtling down Cooper's Hill, at Brockworth near Gloucester, as part of a longstanding national tradition. Luke Briggs won one of the men's contests dressed in a Superman costume - while first-time racer Ava Sender Logan, 20, from London, was triumphant in the first women's event before admitting she did not even like cheese. She told of not remembering most of her downhill tumble, but said of the occasion: 'It's such a cool tradition.' The event challenges people to pursue a 3kg Double Gloucester cheese rolling down the steep 200 yard hill, though has also prompted safety warnings in recent years - and medics were called in to help those injured in turbulent scenes today. Hundreds of people have been gathering at Cooper's Hill to watch the occasion that is thought to have its roots in a pagan festival celebrating the return of spring. Competitors chase the cheese down the 180m-high hill, with many tripping and tumbling on their way - only to pick themselves up and resume the pursuit. The first runners to catch the cheese, which can reach speeds of up to 70mph, are declared victors in various races across the event that dates back to the 1800s - and has now seen its opening contest won by a German man for the second year running. But competing is not without its risks - in 1993, 15 people were injured in the racing, four of them seriously hurt, officials have ramped up warnings in recent years and a man was today seen being carried away on a stretcher. In 2009 and 2011 the race was cancelled over safety concerns but the event has continued unofficially, though the 2020 and 2021 versions were called off as a result of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions before a return in June 2022. Two late cheese rolling champions are being remembered at this year's event with races held in their memory. The first men's race was declared to be held in memory of Izzy John, who died in 2015, with the second nodding to Steve Brain, who died in 2018 - after the two men, described as 'fearless', won more than 30 cheeses between them. Today's event comes just weeks after it was revealed the tradition could be given an official honour by being added to a UK heritage list. The Government is asking the public to nominate their favourite traditions that best reflect Britain, to be recorded in a new Inventory of Living Heritage in the UK. Other traditions in the same county such as surfing the Severn Bore and Woolsack Races in Tetbury have also been touted as potential contenders for the list, with heritage minister Baroness Twycross saying last month: 'The UK is rich with wonderful traditions.' Last year's first Cheese Rolling men's race at Cooper's Hill was won by Tom Kopke from Germany, who told afterwards how he was 'buzzing' - and vowed to return in 2025 to defend his title, which he has now successfully done. Mr Kopke, from Munich, who runs his own YouTube channel, was victorious in the opening men's race today, 12 months on from first taking the title. After taking an early lead and seeing the win through, he told the BBC: 'I've never felt better in my life. 'This year I just gave it everything I had - I just dashed forward and tried to get the win, and then I just blacked out.' Mr Kopke, 23, added: 'It was crazy. This year was different. Last year the hill was muddy and this year it was dry and dangerous and people got injured. "I shut off my brain and went for it. All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title but this is mine. 'I worked for this. I risked my life for this. It's my cheese. Back to back.' Long-time cheese-maker Rod Smart, who has produced cheese for the chase for more than 25 years, once again provided the wheels for this year's event. Four cheeses weighing about 3kg each and three smaller ones, weighing about 1.5kg, are used. Local roads have been closed up to two-and-a-half miles around the slope. The second men's race was won by Luke Preece, from Gloucester, who flew down the hill race dressed in a Superman costume. He said afterwards: 'I am absolutely buzzed, amazing - the adrenaline. My dad did it. I can't believe it, it's amazing.' The women's race was won by Ava Sender Logan, 20, who was racing for the Refugee Community Kitchen, which supports displaced people in northern France and homeless people in London and Edinburgh. The university student from London said: 'This is my first time. I thought it was such a tradition, and I will probably feel it tomorrow. I can't believe it, I can't believe it. "It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head. I'm down, that's what matters. I'm fine." The final men's downhill race was won by Byron Smith, 33, from New Zealand, who had to settle for second place last year. He said today: 'It feels great, yeah. I did it last year and came second in my heat and I thought I could do it this year and I did. 'I ran as fast as I could and tried to get back up and this year I did.' Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson from Gloucestershire Police has previously described the event as a 'unique tradition', adding that the force had 'no desire to stop it'. But officers said they had a duty to tell the public the local Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group had declared it unsafe, raising concerns about the potential strain on emergency services. The advisory group is made up of multiple agencies, including emergency services, who work to promote safety and welfare at events. Members have told of concerns about how officials could respond if there were a major incident, after ambulances struggled to access the site in 2023. The winner of that year's women's race was knocked unconscious at the finish line and only discovered had won after waking up in a medical tent. The event attracts competitors from around the world - as well as capturing transatlantic coverage. One notable report in 2006 in the American National Library of Medicine was headlined: 'Dozens injured as cheese roll goes crackers.' The article went on to say how 25 people were injured 'at an annual cheese rolling competition in which daredevils chase giant cheese wheels down a steep slope in western England '. The magazine said: 'Dozens took part in the bizarre event at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, before a crowd of about 3,000 cheering spectators. 'They raced for 200m down the slope after wheel-shaped Double Gloucester cheeses, decorated in a blue and red ribbon. 'Many slipped, somersaulted, and tumbled their way to the bottom during five bone-crunching races over two hours. 'Of the 25 people hurt, 12 were spectators, one of whom was hit by one of the hard, 4kg, dinner plate sized cheeses used in each race, but only two people were taken to hospital for further assessment.' The history of Cooper Hill's Cheese-Rolling event The ceremony originally took place on Whit Monday, but was later moved to the Spring bank holiday. The first evidence of cheese rolling is found in a message written by the town crier in 1826. But even then, the writing suggested it was an old tradition, believed to be about 600-years-old. Two possible origins have been proposed for the event. Some believe it may have evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the common, while others believe it has pagan origins from the custom of rolling objects down a hill. It is understood that bundles of burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to represent the birth of the New Year after winter. It is also believed to have links to a traditional fertility rite where buns, biscuits and sweets are scattered from the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies (the official host).
