{"id":27260,"date":"2016-06-07T11:34:32","date_gmt":"2016-06-07T15:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=27260"},"modified":"2016-06-07T11:37:56","modified_gmt":"2016-06-07T15:37:56","slug":"coopers-hill-cheese-race-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/coopers-hill-cheese-race-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Repeat Champ Rolls to Victory in UK Cheese Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

We know people will do a lot<\/em> for cheese\u2014spend exorbitant amounts of money, travel across the world, even get a tattoo of their favorite cheesy sandwiches<\/a>. The people of Gloucestershire, England, showed their dedication to cheese this weekend by risking their physical safety at their annual Cheese-Rolling Race<\/a> on Monday, May 30. In a tradition dating back to the 1800s, dozens of people raced down Cooper\u2019s Hill in Brockworth to catch an eight-pound wheel of Double Gloucester<\/a> in front of thousands of spectators. According to the BBC<\/a>, Chris Anderson claimed his 16th<\/sup> and 17th<\/sup> Cheese Rolling victories when he won the first two races of the day. His prize? The wheels of cheese he caught. The irony? According to The Telegraph<\/cite>, he doesn’t even like cheese<\/a>! <\/p>\n

\"Chris<\/a>

Chris Anderson, triumphant, holds his winning wheel.
Joe Giddens\/PA via AP & Mashable<\/a><\/em><\/small><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Jokes aside, this race was personal for Anderson. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s brilliant, I’m really happy,” he told BBC. \u201cMy friend Izzy John sadly passed away recently so this is for him and his family. He won it multiple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s event consisted of five races, one of which was open only to women. The \u201cLadies Race\u201d is a tradition that dates back to 1936. The Gloucester Citizen<\/cite> reports<\/a> that there was also a less dangerous uphill race for children.<\/p>\n

You might be wondering, what\u2019s so dangerous about running down a hill? We all did it as kids. But Cooper\u2019s Hill isn\u2019t just any hill. The race\u2019s official website<\/a> describes the \u201cinfamous\u201d Cooper\u2019s Hill as \u201cmajestic yet menacing\u201d because it\u2019s so steep. In fact, the event was permanently cancelled by the organizing committee in 2010 because there were too many injuries in the previous year\u2019s race for them to insure them anymore.<\/p>\n

Even at the unofficial events that have been organized since, signs surround the hill warning spectators and participants of the danger of the event. Flo Early, another winner from this year\u2019s races, was briefly knocked unconscious, but she laughed it off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so short, it\u2019s really not too far a fall, is it?\u201d she told BBC\u2019s Michelle Ruminski.<\/p>\n

\"Joe<\/a>

Joe Giddens\/PA via AP & Mashable<\/a><\/em><\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

Villager Sara Stevens told Ruminski that people understand the risks of the Cheese-Rolling. She said despite the risks, the event makes her proud to be from Brockworth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they want to do it, let them do it,\u201d she said. \u201cI think what the villagers now have done to keep this going for the last six years, mega proud of them. I\u2019m so proud to be a Brockite, it\u2019s unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Joe<\/a>

Joe Giddens\/PA via AP & Mashable<\/a><\/em><\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

You can check out a hilarious video of the race itself by YouTube user Wojciech Rzadkosz below:<\/p>\n