Author | Lightnews

Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 5h

The AFL's new Wildcard Round reminded me of the bonkers trivia fact that in 1916 Fitzroy won the wooden spoon and the premiership in the same year. Only four teams played due to WWI so even though Fitzroy finished on the bottom they still made the finals, then won the grand final.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 4d

This was all known at the time but seems forgotten now. The Courier Mail in 1938 reported Catalogue “is owned by a woman and was trained by a woman” and quoted Allan McDonald saying his wife was the true trainer. This photo of them is from Palmerston North City Library, Ian Matheson City Archives

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 4d

But this was in name only. In reality, “Granny” McDonald was the winning trainer. Catalogue was also just the second winning horse in Melbourne Cup history to be owned by a woman, a Mrs A. Jamieson. And it won at odds of 25-1. If that’s not a movie waiting to be made, I don’t know what is.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 4d

Catalogue was trained by Hedwick Wilhelmina “Granny” McDonald, the first female trainer in New Zealand, but at that time Australia didn't recognise female trainers. So her husband, Allan McDonald, obtained a temporary training licence in Victoria and was officially listed as Catalogue’s trainer.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 4d

After Jamie Melham's win in the Melbourne Cup I was looking up some Cup trivia and was amazed to learn that while Sheila Laxon in 2001 is officially recorded as the first woman to train the Melbourne Cup winner, she wasn't *really* the first. For that, you have to go back to 1938 winner, Catalogue

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 6d

When I was a kid in Camperdown, we didn't get Melbourne Cup day as a public holiday, we had Warrnambool Cup day off instead. And on Melbourne Cup day the school held its own 'Cup' in which the Grade 6s piggy-backed the preps around the oval. I rode Brett Unwin to victory in 1987.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 7d

On this day in 1932, the Australian military began the Emu War, a battle against emus that were threatening wheat crops in WA. The soldiers were armed with machine guns. The conflict lasted six weeks.

And the outcome? As listed on Wikipedia: Emu victory.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 11d

The Bureau of Meteorology's new homepage is literally a BOM site.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · 12d

A lot of people liked The Fifth Element but I thought it was boron

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Reposted by Brydon Coverdale

Actual names @actualnames.bsky.social · 16d

Charles Dickwad

England Marriages, 1538–1973

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Oct 6

Stories of extreme longevity have always fascinated me. The oldest man ever in Australia has just turned 112. That means he was born in 1913. That means he was born BEFORE World War I began.

www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

'Determination and ingenuity': Australia's oldest man just turned 112

Ken Weeks was still walking into town for shopping after he turned 100 more than a decade ago.

www.sbs.com.au

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Sep 25

Very proud of my wife Zoe for her blue-ribbon win in the mostly hotly-contested cookery category at the Melbourne Royal Show this year - the yo-yo section. You can't taste them but you can read all about it here.

www.brydoncoverdale.com/blog/the-bes...

The best yo-yos in town — Brydon Coverdale - Quizzer, Author, Journalist

Have you ever wondered who enters the cookery competitions at the Melbourne Royal Show? Heaps of people, including my wife Zoe, who this year won a coveted blue ribbon for first prize in the hotly-con...

www.brydoncoverdale.com

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Aug 19

I enjoyed chatting to John and James from The Sporting Record on 3CR last week. Here's the link if you feel like listening to three bearded men talking about quizzing and sport.

www.3cr.org.au/thesportingr...

Is Quizzing a Sport?.. with guest Brydon Coverdale (The Shark)

After Reading Brydon Coverdale's book "Quizmasters' I was keen to get Brydon on air to debate the asertation that "Quizzing is a Sport". It turns out that he was a great guest with a profound knowledg...

www.3cr.org.au

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Aug 11

Oughtacorrect

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Aug 11

We have as much trouble with screens as any parents but the five-year-old is currently playing solitaire with actual cards, the ten-year-old is reading, and the eight-year-old is walking round asking who wants to play euchre. Today I feel like we're parenting in 1925 not 2025.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Aug 9

When I worked in a supermarket as a teenager I learnt that apparently Jap was short for Japala, though no idea where that name came from

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Jul 30

@actualnames.bsky.social

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Jul 30

Have gun?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wil_Tra...

Wil Traval - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Jul 28

The absolute arrogance of the England cricket team, thinking everyone else should play the way they do and make the same decisions they would.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Jul 6

That is the stupidest book pricing system I have ever seen.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · May 30

Saddened to read that former NZ coach David Trist has died at 77. I enjoyed speaking to him for this piece on being the forgotten man of their world title win.

"I've been repaid, many times over. Cricket has been very kind to me, and I'm very grateful"

www.espncricinfo.com/story/brydon...

The man behind New Zealand's world title

In 2000, New Zealand won the ICC Knockout in Nairobi, but the coach behind that achievement, David Trist, is largely forgotten

www.espncricinfo.com

Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · May 30

Hey Paul, when I started on The Chase Australia 10 years ago, you were the chaser I most aspired to be like. Huge respect for you and for how you have handled everything that has come your way.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Mar 10

Fact is Malcolm Turnbull never actually lost an election as leader.

Josh Butler @joshbutler.bsky.social · Mar 10

it's 2017 again, Donald Trump is blasting Malcolm Turnbull on social media

this from Trump's Truth Social: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Mar 3

This is a bit left-field but I just wanted to give a shout-out to whoever came up with the 'Don't Let a Car Change Who You Are' ad campaign. Every time I see it, it strikes me as relevant, relatable and something that might genuinely change some people's behaviour.

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Brydon Coverdale @brydoncoverdale.bsky.social · Feb 16

February 16, the day Steven Bradbury won his gold medal in 2002 and the birthday of Cathy Freeman in 1973 and Vegemite inventor Cyril Callister in 1893. Almost qualifies it to be our national day.

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