Cheese is not only meant for eating, but occasionally used as a prop for competitions. This week on Monday (May 26), a fun-filled Cheese-Rolling contest took place on Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, England.
This event is a quirky competition held in Brockworth, Gloucestershire’s last Monday in May each year. The rules are simple: the organizers roll a 3kg double-layer Gloucester cheese from the top of the 180-meter-high Cooper’s Hill, and adult participants race down the steep slope, chasing after the giant cheese rolling at high speed. The first one to catch it wins the prize – the massive cheese itself.
The double-layer Gloucester cheese used in the competition is a round, hard cheese with wooden casing protecting its sides, adorned with ribbons.
The annual Cheese-Rolling contest was originally a traditional event in Brockworth, dating back 200 years and has now evolved into a globally renowned competition. At the end of May each year, participants from around the world gather at Cooper’s Hill to take part in this lively event, attracting tens of thousands of spectators to cheer them on.
In Monday’s competition, Tom Kopke from Munich, Germany, rolled and crawled his way to be the first to cross the finish line at the bottom of the hill, winning the men’s division for the second consecutive year. The women’s division was won by Ava Sender Logan from London, United Kingdom.
However, due to the steep slope of Cooper’s Hill (at a 45-degree angle) and the large number of participants, many competitors tumble and roll down the hill like the cheese, leading to numerous fractures and abrasions every year. As a result, the event has not been officially recognized and has always been organized autonomously by local residents.
Below are some exciting moments captured during this year’s competition.