Huỳnh Thị Phương Oanh SOME SPORT COMPETITIONS IN BRITAIN Odd Britain: The UK’s 12 Strangest Sports Competitions

1.) Cheese Rolling

A passion for cheese is a must for this annual event, which involves daredevils hurling themselves down the steep, grassy slopes of Coopers Hill, near Gloucester, in pursuit of Double Gloucester cheeses. There are downhill races throughout the afternoon including ones for men and for women. The race starts with the master of ceremonies rolling a 7- 8 lb (4kg) Double Gloucester cheese down the hill. Dozens of competitors run, roll and somersault down the hill after it. It’s impossible not to fall over due to the rough uneven slope with a 1:2 gradient. The winners take home the cheeses as well as a few cuts and bruises. The event is very popular with international competitors, and nothing deters them – hot, cold, wind, wet or any other combination of British weather – in fact, it all adds to the sense of spectacle. Hundreds of people gather to watch this unique event, which dates back to medieval times. Common theories about the origin of cheese rolling include the idea that it began as a pan festival celebrating the onset of summer, while others maintain the festival is related to ancient fertility rights and hopes for a successful harvest.

2.) Shin-Kicking

The Cotswold Olimpicks were started by a local barrister, Captain Robert Dover, in 1612 at Dover’s Hill, above Chipping Campden. The annual event attracts thousands of spectators and features some well-known countryside games such as tug-of-war, obstacle races and wrestling as well as a few bizarre ones with the highlight being shin-kicking. The shin-kicking competition involves two contestants who first fill their trouser legs with straw to help reduce the pain. The players then hold arms and kick each other using steel-toe capped boots until one of the contestants is so bruised that he cannot stand the pain and gives in. The festivities close with a huge bonfire and fireworks display followed by a torchlight procession to the town square of Chipping Campden where Morris dancing and other entertainment takes place. The Olympicks will be 400 years old when Britain hosts the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

3.) Swamp Soccer World Championships

The rules of swamp soccer are similar to regular soccer, with a number of exceptions. Each team has just six players, a goalkeeper and five outfield players, with unlimited substitutions. Games last for 24 minutes total and costumes are allowed.

4.) Face Gurning

The Egremont Crab Fair – one of the oldest fairs in the world – takes place on the third Saturday of September on the Cumbrian coast in North West . The events end with the World Gurning Championships where contestants compete to make the most grotesque and silliest facial expressions possible. ‘Gurning’ is the name for such face- pulling. It is thought the sport comes from the faces the locals made when they tried to eat the sour crab apples. Contestants frame their face with a horse collar known as a braffin.

5.) Haxey Hood Game

Every January, the parish of Haxey goes a little crazy for the day. They play a mad game called the Haxey Hood and have been practicing this ancient tradition since the 14th century making it the oldest local tradition in England. To the spectator, this event is like a rugby scuffle, this is called the sway, in which a leather tube (that represents the hood) is pushed to 1 of 4 pubs where it remains until the following year’s game. It is a tradition that dates back to when Lady de Mowbray, wife of landowner John De Mowbray, was out riding one day and her silk riding hood was blown away. Thirteen farm workers in the field rushed to help and chased the hood all over the field. It was finally caught by one of the farm workers, but being too shy to hand it back to the lady he gave it to one of the others to hand back to her. She thanked the farm worker who had returned the hood and said that he had acted like a Lord, whereas the worker who had actually caught the hood was a Fool. She was so impressed by this act of chivalry and the resulting chase that she donated 13 acres of land on condition that the chase for the hood would be re-enacted each year. This re-enactment over the centuries has become known as the “Haxey Hood.”

6.) Husky Racing

The park land surrounding the house, built for a visit by Henry VIII in 1541, will host 400 dogs competing along a timed route, pulling sleds and their owners. The imposing country house sits amongst rolling Lincolnshire countryside that is surrounded by formal gardens, extensive woodland and a 50-acre lake, which provides a stunning setting for the race.

7.) Annual Nettle Eating Contest

An annual contest in which around 30 challengers are encouraged to eat more nettles than the current champion nettle-eater. Contestants are given two-foot long stalks of stinging nettles and have one hour to eat as many leaves as possible. The winner is the person with the longest length of empty stalk. The competition stems from a contest between two farmers in the mid-1980s as to who had the longest stinging nettles. A longest nettle night was established. One day, a contestant called Alex Williams brought in a nettle over 15- foot long and said if anyone had a longer nettle he would eat his. His nettles were subsequently beaten and he duly ate them giving rise to the annual nettle-eating contest. Now people come from all over Europe to watch or take part.

8.) Man vs. Horse Race

The race, which has up to 500 entrants competing each year, is run over 22 miles of mixed and very hilly terrain including farm tracks, bridle paths, forestry roads and open moorland. The Man vs. Horse Race was the brainchild of local man Gordon Green, at the time when he was landlord of Neuadd Arms, after a discussion over a pint about the relative merits of man and horse.

The race has been run each year since, continually attaining new levels of entry and challenges. It took 25 years before a man finally beat a horse, when, in 2004, Huw Lobb won in two hours and five minutes, finishing two minutes before the fastest horse. Do you prefer your horse racing to be of the actual horse variety? Then check get ready to bet on Kentucky Derby. 9.) World Bog Snorkeling Championships

The World Bog Snorkeling Championships are an international sporting event which takes place annually on August Bank Holiday in Waen Rhydd peat bog on the outskirts of the smallest town in Britain, Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys, Mid Wales. The aim of the championships is to swim two lengths (about 115 meters) of a peaty, murky trench, which has been dug out of the Waen Rhydd peat bog, in the quickest time possible. Competitors wear snorkels and flippers. Wet suits are optional but strongly recommended. Snorkeling across the smelly and dirty bog is popular with hardy individuals from all over the world. Competitors come from as far afield as Australia, America and Europe as well as from Britain for the pleasure of taking part. The snorkeler with the fastest time wins a small cash prize. Organized by ‘Green Events,’ the novel event was originally thought up by a local pub landlord, Gordon Green, in 1986 in a bid to boost tourism to the area.

10.) International Worthing Birdman

The Birdman is a flight competition for human-powered flying machines held each summer in the picturesque seaside resort of Worthing on England’s south coast. Many flyers take part to raise money for charities; others design complex machines to aim for the distance prizes. A substantial prize of £30,000 is offered for the furthest flight in excess of the challenge distance of 100 meters. The event attracts contestants from as far away as Germany, Switzerland and America. The Birdman competition started in 1971 along the coast in Selsey and then spent 29 years in Bognor Regis before relocating to Worthing in 2008.

11.) The World Gravy Wrestling Championships

This saucy event takes places as part of the Pennine Festival of Food & Culture. The World Gravy Wrestling Championships take place on the second Bank Holiday in August. The teams competing for the title slip and slide about in luke-warm gravy. Team members win points for pinning the opposition down in the gravy. This event was started in 2007 and brings out the crowds in force to laugh at the proceedings. The winners will receive the glittering trophy and wallow in fame, if not fortune.

12.) Carrying Tar Barrels

On Guy Fawkes Night, there is the ritual of carrying the blazing tar barrels, which dates back to 1688. Men carry the flaming barrels on their shoulders until the weight or heat becomes too much for them and another person takes over. This carries on until the barrels start to break up and then they are allowed to burn out. Preparation of the barrels and coating them with tar starts early in the year and some can weigh over 50 pounds (22.68 kg). A gigantic bonfire over 30 feet (10 meters) high forms an impressive background to the occasion together with a fairground and many other attractions. SOME ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPORT

1. Ellen MacArthur sets solo sailing record

It may have taken her 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds, but on February 7th 2005, MacArthur broke the solo sailing record for circumnavigating the earth. Her 27,354 nautical miles journey was charted by media agencies around the world, and she was made a Dame in recognition of her achievement upon her return – making her the youngest recipient of this honour at the age of 29. 2. Len Hutton’s 364 for England

Cricket prodigy Hutton broke Wally Hammond’s record for the highest individual score in a Test match against Australia in 1938 at the Oval. The 22-year-old took over 13 hours to score 364 runs – a record that remains the highest Test innings by an Englishman to date. 3. Britain’s 2002 Olympic Curling win

Scotland’s Rhona Martin skippered Great Britain’s curling side to victory against all the odds in Salt Lake City at the . Rhona and her team dominated world champions Sweden and then beat Germany to play Canada in the last four. Beating the Canadians saw Britain guaranteed a medal at the games and the gold was won with Martin successfully judging a difficult draw with her last stone in the final against Switzerland. 4. Tony Jacklin’s back-to-back Open wins

The most successful golf player of his generation, Jacklin became the first player to win The Open Championship for 18 years when he clinched the title in 1969. He followed that up with a victory at the US Open the following year and remains the only Brit to win the tournament in the post World War II era. 5. Lester Piggott’s ninth Derby win

Piggott recorded his ninth and final Derby win in 1983 when he rode Teenoso to victory - winning the race by three lengths despite unusually heavy ground. Considered one of the greatest flat jockeys of all time, Piggott has 4,493 career wins to his name, riding his last winner in 1994 before he retired from the sport for good in 1995. 6. 's 1977 Wimbledon win

Wade clinched the Wimbledon single’s title in the tournament’s centenary year on July 1st 1977. It was the 16th year she had played at the tournament and she defeated reigning Wimbledon champion Chris Evert in a dramatic semi-final clash. Wade beat Betty Stove in the final 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to claim the crown and was the most notable Brit to win a title at SW19 until Jamie Murray’s mixed doubles win with Serbian Jelena Jankovic earlier this year. 7. Tottenham’s Cup Winners’ Cup win

Bill Nicholson’s Tottenham Hotspur side became the first team in English football history to win a European trophy after they thumped holders Atletico Madrid 5-1 in 1963. Led by the legendary Danny Blanchflower, the result remains one of the best in Tottenham’s history and the score line remains the joint-largest margin of victory ain a one-match European final. 8. ’s marathon record

Radcliffe began her career as a 5000m and 10,000m runner but moved up to marathon distance in 2002. Having set a women’s only race record in the London Marathon that year, she then set a world record time in April 2003 when she completed the distance in 2hr 15minutes 25seconds. Of the seven marathons she has run so far, Radcliffe has won six and set a record in five and has run four of the five fastest marathon times in history for female competitors. 9. Europe’s Ryder Cup triple whammy

Europe have won the last three Ryder cups, and Britain’s have played a major part in the success story. Scotland’s Sam Torrance led the team to victory at the Belfry in 2002, while Colin Montgomerie holed the winning putt in the 2004 tournament to see Europe win the competition by a margin of 18 ½ - 9 ½. Last year, Welshman Ian Woosnam captained the team to victory by the same margin to seal Europe’s third successive Ryder Cup. 10. becomes undisputed champion

Lewis fought WBA and IBF title holder Evander Holyfield in in November 1999 to decide who was the undisputed champion of the world. The bout had originally taken place nine months earlier but was controversially declared a draw. The rematch was close, but Lewis scored a unanimous victory after the fight went the distance again. 11. Great Britain hockey team win gold

The 1988 Olympics saw Britain qualify from the group stages in second place after losing to a late penalty against West Germany. A semi- final clash with Australia resulted in the inspirational Sean Kerly scoring a hat-trick to set up a mouth-watering return against the Germans in the final. Great Britain beat their rivals 3-1 with Kerly emerging as hockey’s first true superstar. 12. Scotland win rugby Grand Slam

The Scots shocked England with a 13-7 win over their arch-rivals in what was one of the most-hyped rugby matches ever. England skipper Will Carling added to the simmering atmosphere when he was caught on camera telling his team they were better than their counterparts. Led by David Sole, Scotland stormed ahead with two early Craig Chalmers penalties before Tony Stranger’s try sealed a memorable victory back in 1990. 13. England v Holland Euro 96

One of the great performances in English football history saw Terry Venables' side destroy the Dutch at Wembley. Holland were one of the tournament favourites before the game but two goals apiece from the ‘SAS’ strikeforce of Shearer and Sheringham put the hosts in control. Patrick Kluivert pulled a goal back with 12 minutes remaining as the Three Lions qualified as Group A winners. 14. James Hunt wins F1 title

The charismatic and charming Hunt notched six Formula One Grands Prix victories in the 1976 season. His rivalry with Austrian Niki Lauda was fierce and the two went into the final race in Japan needing to be amongst the points to clinch the title. After leading for most of the race, Hunt suffered a puncture and a delayed pit stop before fighting back and claiming third place. With four points in the bag, he pipped Lauda to the World Championship by a single point. 15. Aston Villa’s European Cup win

The Villans’ shock win over German giants Bayern Munich in 1982 was largely down to the heroic performance of young stand-in goalkeeper Nigel Spink. The rookie stopper made a host of top-class saves but it was Peter Withe who won the game for Villa after he converted Tony Morley’s cross in the 67th minute. 16. Barry McGuigan wins world title

Irish hero McGuigan won the WBA title in 1985, beating ’s over a colossal 15 rounds. McGuigan’s intense aggression wore down his opponent's resistance and the judges awarded the 24-year-old the victory. The unforgettable celebration scenes at the end of the fight made McGuigan an instant icon in the world. 17. Jonathan Edwards wins Olympic gold

Edwards burst onto the international stage in 1995 with a historic triple- jump performance. He broke the world record twice in the same meeting — becoming the first man to pass the 18-metre barrier with his first jump. That record lasted just 20 minutes when, for his second jump, Edwards produced an astonishing leap of 18.29 metres — making him the first in history to jump 60 feet. 18. ’s fourth European Cup win

The Olympic Stadium in hosted the glittering 1984 final and the Reds went a goal up after 14 minutes thanks to Phil Neal, who prodded home following a mistake by the Roma goalkeeper. The Italians bombarded the Liverpool goal and drew level just before half-time courtesy of Roberto Pruzzo's header. The match went to penalties and Bruce Grobbelaar famously psyched out Francesco Graziani by using his ‘Spaghetti legs’. The Italian ended up sending his penalty over the bar to hand Liverpool their fourth European Cup. 19. Audley Harrison wins Olympic Gold

The 2000 Games in Sydney saw Harrison storm to victory and become the first Briton to win an Olympic gold medal in the super-heavyweight division since the competition’s inception in 1984. He was also the first Brit in 32 years to win gold at an Olympic boxing event and the first at the highest weight class since 1920. 20 . Torvill & Dean win gold

Nottingham natives Jane Torvill and won gold at the Winter Olympics in 1984 in sensational style to become the most famous couple in ice skating. They also went down in history as the highest scoring figure skaters of all time (for a single programme) with 12 perfect 6.0 marks, including top scores from all the judges for artistic impression. 21. Chris Boardman wins gold

One of the most memorable images in the 1992 Olympics was cyclist Chris Boardman on his Lotus-built bike. His stunning gold in the individual pursuit was triumph for Boardman and British engineering as a whole. 22. wins the nation's heart

The 2000 Olympics in Sydney saw Britain return with their best medal haul since 1920 – with Denise Lewis’ gold in the a highlight. A bronze in1996 and two silvers in the previous World Championships hinted she was on the verge of greatness. And the Birchfield Harrier duly delivered, fighting back from third after Day One to seal her place in Olympic history. 23. ' smile is everywhere

1972 was a year to forget for Great Britain’s Olympic hopefuls – bar Mary Peters. The pentathlete grabbed the nation’s only gold, beating local star to top the podium. The star Brit, who represented Northern in the Commonwealth events, scooped a MBE, CBE and eventual Damehood for her exploits. 24. Frank finally wins a world title

Fan-favourite seemed destined to be the perennial nearly-man after losing major title fights to , Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. But his day finally came in 1994. US fighter Oliver McCall, who had won the WBC title from Lennox Lewis, put his belt on the line in London. Bruno won a gruelling12 round slugfest on points, in one of the most epic boxing matches of all time. 25. lifts the Claret Jug

In a career that featured a hat-trick of wins in both the Open Championships and the Augusta Masters, it’s hard to pick out one of Nick Faldo’s achievements. But the title that sticks out of the pack was the 1990 Open where, following his Masters win that year and combined with his PGA and European player of the year awards, Faldo confirmed his status as one of the greats. 26. takes F1 crown

Williams had by far the quickest car in F1 during the 1996 season, but Hill’s driving exploits that year were in a league of their own. He won the title ahead of teammate Jacques Villeneuve to become the first and only son of a Formula One champion to win the championship himself. He remains Williams’ second most successful driver ever behind – with 21 race victories to his name. 27. Goodhew grabs gold in Moscow

British swimmers don’t come more recognisable than Duncan Goodhew – but it was his achievements in the pool that secured his place history. The bald-headed Goodhew's crowning moment came in the 1980 Olympics when he grabbed gold in the 100 metre breaststroke. 28. Our boys charm their way to gold

Great Britain’s team of , , John Regis and secured their place in British athletics history when they to beat America’s dream team to the World Championships 4x400m relay gold in 1991. The win itself was special, but it was the team’s infectious sense of true friendship that captured the public’s imagination. 29. Mansell blasts to victory

The 1992 season saw Our Nige scoop the Formula One drivers championship in imperious style. Starting off with five straight wins, Mansell eventually ended up with nine in total, setting a Formula One record in the process. A true British sporting hero. 30. Arsenal are invincible

Despite fielding just six English players that season, Arsenal secured their place in British sporting history by going the entire 2003-04 Premiership campaign unbeaten. It could have been so different had United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy not missed a late penalty in the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. But the Dutchman struck the bar and the Gunners then went off on a memorable run, winning the title by 11 points and breaking a host of records along the way.