ANNUAL CHEESE ROLLING IN ROQUEFORT

This is an event you just have to see, it’s unbelievable and entry is free,
dozens and dozens of cheeses rolling down Roquefort hill,
They’re not in it for the prize money, they’re not doing it because it’s funny,
they’re simply doing it for the excitement and thrill.

And as they’re speeding down the slope, not sure if they can cope,
they’re hurting, very sore and in great pain.
and once started it’s difficult to stop, some go under, others over the top,
rolling, rolling, rolling, over again,

Many of the cheeses are bruised, their bodies feeling abused,
some not sure if they’ll ever feel alright again,
sliding through the dirt, every part of them seems to hurt,
some thinking, ‘why am I doing this, I must be insane’.

To stop going black and blue, there are some things they do,
they wear protection on their elbows and knees,
many roll up into a ball, keeping ever so small,
and most importantly, they try to avoid the trees!

There’s no prize money, no cash, nothing very flash,
there’s just the knowledge that you took part in the race,
It’s not about the speed, there’s a far more important need,
and that’s to get down safely at a quick pace.

Any problems and an ambulance is on call, in case of any break or fall,
and medics are on standby at the side of the course,
and if the ambulance is unable to pass, because of mud or slippery grass,
you’ll be rescued by a special ambulance horse.

So if you decide to roll down the hill, remember it's for the fun and thrill,
and getting involved, that's the most important part,
if you're in it just to win, then it’s probably better not to begin,
because this is an activity, that you do from the heart.

CHEESE ROLLING TRIVIA 

Cooper's Hill (pop. 39) near Gloucester is the setting for the annual cheese roll. 

The hill drops away at a near 70-degree angle, then shifts to 50 degrees, then plunges again, then levels out, then falls before abruptly flattening at the bottom. 

The wheels of Double Gloucester hurled down the hill weigh nearly eight pounds, measuring three inches thick and nine inches in diameter. Technically, they could be classed as missiles under local bylaws. 

By the time they hit the safety net at the bottom of the 250-yard race course, the cheese wheels are spiralling unpredictably at up to 70 miles an hour. 

Provided runners are still on their feet when they get to the bottom, they're promptly tackled by rugby players to prevent them crashing into a fence. 

A 27-year-old named "Digger" Gardener dashed down wearing nothing but a T-shirt and a jockstrap in 1983. He claimed the outfit "did wonders for streamlining", and so it must have done-he won first and second place. 

To overcome their fear, most Cheese Roll runners rely on Dutch courage. Any alcohol will do, but the anaesthetic of choice tends to be scrumpy or, in a pinch, perry (hard cider made from pears). 

No one has ever been killed at the cheese roll, though there is an apocryphal story about a runner dropping dead at the end of a race centuries ago. 

Four adults and four children were zapped by lightning when a sudden thunderstorm interrupted the 1982 cheese roll. However, as soon as the rain cleared, the racing resumed. 

One of the boys hit by lightning in 1982 went on to run in the race ten years later-and snap his thighbone in half, 'winning' an 18-inch pin in his leg. 

Runners aren't the only ones at risk; bystanders have also been hurt-by out-of-control runners, but more often by bouncing cheeses. 

The "CHEESE CHASE CHAOS" of 1990 notched up some 22 casualties-including a 59 year-old grandmother knocked out by a cheese. 

Depending on the report, up to 37 people were injured in 1997, including seven spectators. One unfortunate tripped while trying to dodge a hurtling cheese and fell 100 feet down the hill. He was rushed to hospital with head injuries. 

One veteran winner broke his left arm that year, having already broken his right arm on the hill a few years earlier, earning him a double fracture for his Double Gloucester. The other two trophy cheeses were stolen. 

After the event was officially banned in 1998, the organisers introduced some token safety measures. 

As a result, the body count has fallen to about a dozen casualties per year.

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