Bad show, Toytown!
Interesting wording on the BBC news website when reporting the triumph of the queen's grandaughter, Zara Philips, in the Equestrian World Championships (a sport for anyone - given a spare million):
'Phillips negotiated the showjumping course with only one mistake, when Toytown caught a rail inside the penultimate fence...'
Of course it could equally read:
'Toytown negotiated the showjumping course with only one mistake, when Philips caught a rail inside the penultimate fence...'
but I guess that would give the wrong impression altogether.
'Phillips negotiated the showjumping course with only one mistake, when Toytown caught a rail inside the penultimate fence...'
Of course it could equally read:
'Toytown negotiated the showjumping course with only one mistake, when Philips caught a rail inside the penultimate fence...'
but I guess that would give the wrong impression altogether.
posted by Clare Dudman at 6:22 pm
4 Comments:
Unfortunately, English doesn't deal very well with the concept of rider and horse becoming one - which is what happens when they go round the course together. Both, in fact, are responsible for clipping the last fence.
Perhaps they should become double-barrelled: Zara Toytown-Phillips, something like that.
Nice use of italics by the way...
But she won didn't she? Beating her mother's record? Hard to tell given the nature of reporting!
Just in case you don't go back to prev blog & read comments - CONGRATS on the
succcess of your short story. I'm so thrilled for you.
Jonathan: Pretty funny I thought - the way the glory is due to the rider but any fault is blamed on the horse. And yes, CFR, she is champion of the world whereas the Princess Royal (why does that always make me think of a dessert?) was only ever European champion. Not that I am at all interested, you understand.
Thanks CB.
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