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Quiz about Animals Go South To Play Sports
Quiz about Animals Go South To Play Sports

Animals Go South... To Play Sports Quiz


Over the centuries, sports have become increasingly more bizarre. Some of these sports involve animals in the strangest of ways. Here are 15 odd animal sports for you to enjoy.

A multiple-choice quiz by salami_swami. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
salami_swami
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
367,273
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
2542
Awards
Editor's Choice
Last 3 plays: Guest 110 (11/15), Xanadont (11/15), cal562301 (9/15).
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Question 1 of 15
1. Polo is a rather popular sport played on horseback, but can be played with other animals too. Some variations include yak polo, camel polo, and even elephant polo. In the polo game featuring elephants, there are two riders of each pachyderm. What is the name of the player who steers the elephant? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Every year in Switzerland, a certain kind of animal is put into a ring with its own kind, and the animals push each other until one of the competitors give up. These animals are fighting for the title of 'La Reine des Reines', which increases the value of the winning animal. Which of these sports takes place in Valais annually for the purpose of watching animals headbutt each other for up to forty minutes? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. If there is an animal that moves, you can bet someone will race them, no matter the speed. For instance, in this sport, the racetrack is just over a foot long, and can take several minutes for the participants to complete. Many annual races occur with this common garden animal, including one that started in Norfolk in the 1960s. What strangely addictive sport is this? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Camel racing is a controversial sport (as many animal sports are), but not because of the camels. Before it was banned by several countries in the early 21st century, camel racing relied heavily on the use of child jockeys. However, in 2004, many countries began to use a different type of jockey to replace the human in the sport. Which of these options became a new form of jockey in many places beginning in 2004? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. People like to do everything with their pets, and the Scotland Island 500 is a great example of just how far some owners are willing to go with their canine friends. This competition is a unique race in which both the dogs and their owners must compete. This competition is no ordinary race, however, as it takes place where? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. In a certain resort in India, one sport has been developed as a tourist attraction. A skier waits at the bottom of a hill and entices an animal to charge at them, which then pulls the skier up the slope. Which strange sport is this? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Fishing is a common sport that many around the world take part in. Typically, once the fish is caught, we eat it or throw it back. In one particular festival, however, held during the Australia Day weekend, the fish are thrown as far as they can be. The winner is the one that has the farthest flying fish. What is the name of this strange sporting event? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Horse show jumping is a popular sports in many places, but equines are not the only animals to be used for such a purpose. In Sweden, a new form of show jumping was started with similar rules to horse show jumping. The sport is on a much smaller scale, as the animal is much smaller. Watching small animals jump over miniaturized jumps may just be the cutest sport ever invented. Which is it? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. It's surprising to me that no one ever falls asleep during certain sports. One of these events, for instance, involves standing in place and guessing how many animals run past. The person who guesses how many animals were seen the most accurately is declared the winner. What odd animal sport is also a child's bedtime tradition? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Every few years, humans have some sort of Olympics Games going on, where competitors compete for gold medals in a variety of sports. A much lesser known, albeit far more adorable, Olympics Games takes place. Competitors take part in races, swimming competitions, and even soccer. Which of these words describes the competitors that take part in these special games? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. The sport known as stone dragging in Spanish is a strange tradition. The object of the competition is to pull a large stone with certain animals as far as possible in a certain amount of time. The sport is known as idi probak, which is a Basque term meaning what in English? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. This competitive sport began as a profession to aid fishermen. The object of this odd sporting event is to bring as many of a certain animal to the surface as possible within a designated time limit. To play the sport, a wooden stake is driven into the ground and a piece of metal is dragged on top of the stake. Which weird sports competition is this? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Three strikes in a row in a game of bowling results in something with an animal's name. But there is also a variation of bowling which uses that very animal (in frozen, packaged form) in place of a ball. Around which holiday is this peculiar sport usually played? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. I would never consider placing an insect in my mouth (unless it was covered in chocolate, of course), but an entire sporting competition is dedicated to placing a bug in the mouth to spit it out as far as one can! Fortunately, the bug is frozen beforehand and thawed before the event, so it is usually dead. What unusual and seemingly unsanitary sporting competition is this? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. I do not understand why it is considered a sport, and this final sport is the strangest indeed. This male-only sport involves competitors tying their trousers at their ankles, placing live animals in their pants, and fastening their belts. The object is to last longer than your opponents with these animals in your trousers! What bizarre and painful sporting event would this be? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Polo is a rather popular sport played on horseback, but can be played with other animals too. Some variations include yak polo, camel polo, and even elephant polo. In the polo game featuring elephants, there are two riders of each pachyderm. What is the name of the player who steers the elephant?

Answer: Mahout

Elephant polo originated in Nepal and is played in many areas throughout Asia, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The sport is played in a similar way to regular polo on horseback, except, of course, on much larger creatures. The mahout is the rider of the elephant that controls its movements.

The player that hits the ball tells the mahout where to go. Due to the elephant's much slower speed, a slightly smaller pitch is used to play. The game was once referenced in the "Guinness Book of World Records", but due to animal cruelty allegations, elephant polo records were removed.
2. Every year in Switzerland, a certain kind of animal is put into a ring with its own kind, and the animals push each other until one of the competitors give up. These animals are fighting for the title of 'La Reine des Reines', which increases the value of the winning animal. Which of these sports takes place in Valais annually for the purpose of watching animals headbutt each other for up to forty minutes?

Answer: Cow Fighting

Cow fighting began in the 1920s, and, interestingly enough, can gain crowds of up to 50,000 spectators. The sport pits two cows against each other, and, using natural instinct, they fight. With their horns blunted, about the only thing the cows can do is push each other. Once a cow gives up or is pushed away, the winning cow moves on to the next round. Finally, a grand finale held in Aproz determines the Reine des Reines, or queen of queens.

Oddly enough, the incorrect options are all other popular animal sports from around the world.
3. If there is an animal that moves, you can bet someone will race them, no matter the speed. For instance, in this sport, the racetrack is just over a foot long, and can take several minutes for the participants to complete. Many annual races occur with this common garden animal, including one that started in Norfolk in the 1960s. What strangely addictive sport is this?

Answer: Snail Racing

Snail racing is an odd sport that pits two or more land snails against each other to see which can reach the end of the racetrack first. The snail race track is typically circular, with a length of just over a foot. The snails race to the outside of the track, with their designated numbers painted or stickered to their shell, to determine the winner. Tom Elwes began the annual "World Snail Racing Championships" in the 1960s after seeing the odd sport in France. In 2008, the competition was won in just over three minutes by a snail named Heikki Kovalainen. In 1999, in London, the "Guinness Gastropod Championship" was commentated by horse racing pundit John McCririck. He began this race with the common snail racing term "Ready, steady, slow".

I remember raising snails in grade school with the sole purpose of having such races. Though the competition is slow going and somewhat boring, it still somehow manages to keep even young children entertained.
4. Camel racing is a controversial sport (as many animal sports are), but not because of the camels. Before it was banned by several countries in the early 21st century, camel racing relied heavily on the use of child jockeys. However, in 2004, many countries began to use a different type of jockey to replace the human in the sport. Which of these options became a new form of jockey in many places beginning in 2004?

Answer: Robots

For thousands of years, camel racing has been considered the Sport of Sheiks. Sadly, however, the sport predominantly used child jockeys; typically starved four-year-old boys. The intent was to keep the jockey as light as possible. In 2005, the Emir of Qatar banned child jockeys, and ordered that only robot jockeys be used within two years. Fortunately, these new robot jockeys began to phase out the use of humans as camel racing jockeys in more countries than just Qatar.

While not all human jockeying has been done away with, the cruel treatment of children for the purpose of camel racing has been reduced considerably with the introduction of the robot jockey.
5. People like to do everything with their pets, and the Scotland Island 500 is a great example of just how far some owners are willing to go with their canine friends. This competition is a unique race in which both the dogs and their owners must compete. This competition is no ordinary race, however, as it takes place where?

Answer: In the water

The Scotland Island 500 is an annual doggy paddle race in which both humans and their dog companions swim across 500 meters of water between Scotland Island and Church Point in NSW, Australia. During the race, humans are allowed to use muscle-powered machines, but the dogs have to swim on their own and the owners must stay together with their beloved canines.

The winners receive a bowl for Outstanding Canine Aquatic Behaviour as well as a share of the entrance fee; beer and dog food.
6. In a certain resort in India, one sport has been developed as a tourist attraction. A skier waits at the bottom of a hill and entices an animal to charge at them, which then pulls the skier up the slope. Which strange sport is this?

Answer: Yak Skiing

Yak Skiing is a tourist attraction found in the Indian hill resort of Manali. In this odd sporting event, the skier is at the bottom of a hill, and the yak is at the top. The two are attached to a rope on a pulley system. The goal of the skier at the bottom is to shake a bucket of pony nuts to attract the yak, which then charges to the bottom of the hill to eat his reward.

The pulley system attached to the yak then pulls the skier up the hill. The sport can be quite dangerous. I can imagine being charged by a yak would not be too pleasant; but since the skier is being pulled towards the yak at the same speed, a collision would be catastrophic!
7. Fishing is a common sport that many around the world take part in. Typically, once the fish is caught, we eat it or throw it back. In one particular festival, however, held during the Australia Day weekend, the fish are thrown as far as they can be. The winner is the one that has the farthest flying fish. What is the name of this strange sporting event?

Answer: Tunarama

Tunarama first began in 1962 as a way to promote the tuna industry of Port Lincoln. Throwing a tuna is similar to the hammer throw. You cannot simply throw it overhand or underhand if you wish to gain the furthest distance. To get the fish as far as one can muster, one must spin the tuna around them and release it at its peak speed. In 2014, the winner of the toss threw their fish almost 33 meters away!

I bet cleaning up after the festival is a real pain in the wrasse!
8. Horse show jumping is a popular sports in many places, but equines are not the only animals to be used for such a purpose. In Sweden, a new form of show jumping was started with similar rules to horse show jumping. The sport is on a much smaller scale, as the animal is much smaller. Watching small animals jump over miniaturized jumps may just be the cutest sport ever invented. Which is it?

Answer: Rabbit Show Jumping

Seeing pictures online about rabbit show jumping has made me question why it wasn't invented any sooner than the early 1970s. The idea of this adorable sport was to make a horse show jumping competition on a smaller scale to accommodate the smallness of the rabbit.

In 1987, Stockholm, Sweden held the first 'straight line easy course' rabbit jumping national championship, and by 2013, competitions were being held all over the world. In 1997, the world's highest rabbit jump, as started by the "Guinness World Records", was achieved by a rabbit named Mimrelunds Tosen, who managed to jump only half a centimeter short of a meter off the ground!
9. It's surprising to me that no one ever falls asleep during certain sports. One of these events, for instance, involves standing in place and guessing how many animals run past. The person who guesses how many animals were seen the most accurately is declared the winner. What odd animal sport is also a child's bedtime tradition?

Answer: Sheep Counting

As strange as it may sound, the art of counting sheep is a sport where competitors simply count sheep as a large herd runs past. Whoever accurately counts the sheep, or has the closest guess to the actual number that runs by, is declared the winner. The first National Sheep Counting Championships took place in 2002 in Hay, NSW, Australia, in which 277 sheep ran past over 100 competitors to see who could accurately count the flock. Peter Desailly was the first winner of the Sheep Counting Championships by being the only person to accurately count 277 sheep without falling asleep!
10. Every few years, humans have some sort of Olympics Games going on, where competitors compete for gold medals in a variety of sports. A much lesser known, albeit far more adorable, Olympics Games takes place. Competitors take part in races, swimming competitions, and even soccer. Which of these words describes the competitors that take part in these special games?

Answer: Pig-letes

If there is any sport that rivals the cuteness of rabbit show jumping, it's the annual competition known as the Pig Olympics. These games are organized for piglets specially trained for games such as pig racing in an obstacle course, swimming in a tiny pool, and "swineball", which is similar to the game of soccer (football).

These pig-letes, as they are called, compete for gold medals, much like the human Olympians do. These special pigs are never eaten, of course, and are bred for future pig-letes to compete as well.
11. The sport known as stone dragging in Spanish is a strange tradition. The object of the competition is to pull a large stone with certain animals as far as possible in a certain amount of time. The sport is known as idi probak, which is a Basque term meaning what in English?

Answer: Oxen Tests

The idi probak are the most popular form of dragging tests in the Basque region. Other tests include giza probak (human tests), zaldi probak (horse tests) and asto probak (donkey tests). Each probak has the same concept. The competitors, whether human or animal, must drag large weights as far as possible in a designated amount of time. Weights and time vary by region, but the general concept tends to remain the same.

The oxen used were once working oxen that were given less work and a special diet before the probak, but nowadays most oxen in the region are kept solely for the purpose of probak, and oxen are taken on walks to keep up their strength.
12. This competitive sport began as a profession to aid fishermen. The object of this odd sporting event is to bring as many of a certain animal to the surface as possible within a designated time limit. To play the sport, a wooden stake is driven into the ground and a piece of metal is dragged on top of the stake. Which weird sports competition is this?

Answer: Worm Grunting

Originally, worm grunting (also called worm fiddling or worm charming) was a way of living in which people would sell worms to fishermen so they may use them as bait. In order to charm the worms, a stake, called a stob, is put into the ground, and some form of metal, called a rooping iron, is rubbed against the stob.

The idea is to create a vibration to draw the worms to the surface. Some species of moles and birds use a similar technique to gather their meals. Competitions take place around the world, where a group of three people (the charmer, the catcher, and the counter) try to gather as many worms by grunting, fiddling, or charming the creatures to the surface. Typically, the area each team may collect the worms from is fairly small, but quite a fair number of worms can be gathered in such an area.

In 2009, for instance, ten-year-old Sophie Smith gained a world record with 567 worms gathered during Britain's World Worm Charming Championship. Worms are typically returned to the soil after competitions.
13. Three strikes in a row in a game of bowling results in something with an animal's name. But there is also a variation of bowling which uses that very animal (in frozen, packaged form) in place of a ball. Around which holiday is this peculiar sport usually played?

Answer: Thanksgiving

In 1988, after witnessing his manager drop a frozen turkey, which then slid and hit a soda bottle, Derrick Johnson had an idea to create the new sport of turkey bowling. The sport is played like regular bowling, but instead of pins, soda or water bottles are used, and the bowling ball is replaced with a frozen turkey.

The sport is mostly played during the Thanksgiving season, as the "Butterballs" used are typically ones that were going to be thrown out and not used for consumption. Though the rules are pretty much the same as regular bowling rules, the terminology was changed in order to apply to turkey a bit more. For instance, the 7-10 split is called the wishbone, three strikes in a row is considered a gobbler, and there is, naturally, a fowl line.
14. I would never consider placing an insect in my mouth (unless it was covered in chocolate, of course), but an entire sporting competition is dedicated to placing a bug in the mouth to spit it out as far as one can! Fortunately, the bug is frozen beforehand and thawed before the event, so it is usually dead. What unusual and seemingly unsanitary sporting competition is this?

Answer: Cricket Spitting

The thought of placing a dead cricket in my mouth for sport gives me heebie jeebies. But this has been done since the creation of cricket spitting in 1996 for Purdue University's annual Bug Bowl. Dan Capps set a record of spitting a cricket nearly ten meters in 1998 in front of a live television audience. Imagine entering the contest, placing the cricket in your mouth, spitting it out, and being disqualified because not all legs and wings of the cricket remained on the body.

In order for a score to count, the entire cricket must remain intact.
15. I do not understand why it is considered a sport, and this final sport is the strangest indeed. This male-only sport involves competitors tying their trousers at their ankles, placing live animals in their pants, and fastening their belts. The object is to last longer than your opponents with these animals in your trousers! What bizarre and painful sporting event would this be?

Answer: Ferret Legging

Ants in your pants is bad enough, but for ferret legging, two live, fully toothed ferrets are placed in contestants' trousers. The origin is unclear, but it possibly began in the 1970s; in 1972, the record for keeping live ferrets in one's pants was 40 seconds, but by 1977, it was well over five hours! There are, of course, extra rules to ferret legging.

The ferrets must not be sedated, and the entrant may not be drunk or drugged. Further, the players must not wear underwear in order to give the ferrets full access to both legs. White trousers are often worn in order to show where wounds were and how badly the players have been injured. Contestants are allowed to try to remove ferrets from their legs during competition, but only from the outside of the trousers.

This is incredibly difficult, as ferrets can hold on for a long time. How anyone can last 40 seconds let alone five hours is beyond me (40 seconds is 45 seconds too long for me). Interestingly enough, there was an unsuccessful attempt to create a version of the sport for women called ferret busting.
Source: Author salami_swami

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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