EQUESTRIANISM: Inkberrow's Leslie Law claimed another top place at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, but it was not the win he'd been hoping for.

The 37-year-old had finished third and second on his last two efforts at the four star event, both on his great grey Shear H2O, with whom he won team silver at the Sydney Olympics.

The pair was once again up with the leaders, finishing fifth in a remarkable display of consistency.

Their chances of a win had virtually disappeared after the opening dressage phase where they finished a highly respectable 12th, but the gap of 16 penalties between Law and the dressage leader and eventual winner, Pippa Funnell, was always going to be unbridgeable.

Shear H20 moved up the order with a superb cross-country clear over the daunting 32 fence course, coming home with just 1.2 time penalties.

The duo looked set for a clear round in the final show-jumping phase, only to brush a pole off the final fence. This only cost them one position in the end, as the top three riders all jumped clear.

Law also had every reason to be delighted with his second ride too, the less experienced Brer Rabbit II.

The horse was making his second Badminton appearance and flew round the cross-country course, despite going towards the end of the draw, when the wet weather had made conditions testing.

The horse had a top ten place in his sights coming into the show jumping phase but sadly four fences down pushed him back into 18th spot.