Born on 5 May 1965 in Herefordshire, Leslie Law grew up in a council house and did not start riding until he was 10 to compete with his younger brother, Graham, who also still events. Their father drove a lorry for a living, and, while giving his sons all the support he could, financially, this wasnt easy.
Through his school years, Leslie rode at Bill Bryans point-to-point and showing yard, and was on the Golden Valley branch Pony Club teams. In 1982, he rode in his first affiliated event at Crookham.
Aged 18, he spent two years in America as a working student, producing show jumpers for Ian Silitch and Revel Guest.
In 1986, Leslie finished 42nd at Burghley, his first four-star, on the stallion Welton Apollo. This partnership went on to take eighth place at Badminton in 1989.
Leslie was selected for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 on New Flavour, following a fourth placing at Badminton that spring. Sadly, New Flavour went lame in America and didnt compete.
Four years later, Leslie was again selected for the Olympic team, this time with Shear H20, on whom he had been runner-up at Badminton in 2000. Their seventh place contributed to Britains silver medal.
Between Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, Leslie has racked up eight top-five placings at four-star level. He has been a mainstay of the British team with the two grey brothers, Shear H2O and Shear LEau, picking up two European Championship team golds (2001 and 2003) and a team bronze at the 2002 World Championships. But until the final verdict handed him gold in Athens in the summer of 2004, hed never won an individual championship medal.
Leslie’s stable for 2005
Shear H20 (Solo) 14yo grey by Stan The Man, 1,777 BE points
Owners: Shearwater Insurance Syndicate, Jeremy and Susan Lawton
Career highlights: 2nd Badminton 2000, 3rd Badminton 2002, 5th Burghley 2004
Strengths: work rate at competitions, his ability to put in more than hes got
Aim in 2005: Badminton
Shear LEau (Stan) 12yo grey by Stan The Man, 1,359 BE points
Owner: Shearwater Insurance Syndicate
Career highlights: Olympic gold medal Athens 2004, 5th Kentucky 2003,
5th Burghley 2002
Strengths: hes not a world-beater in any one phase but his consistency in all three means hes usually placed
Aim in 2005: Badminton
Coup De Coeur (Fred) 10yo black by Joli Coeur, 180 BE points
Owner: Keith Scott
Career highlights: 12th Blenheim 2003, 11th Saumur 2004, 12th Pau 2004
Strengths: the ultimate event horse a fabulous mover with a great jump
Aim in 2005: Kentucky
Matt Butler (Matt) 15yo bay by Rhett Butler, 641 BE points
Owner: Diana Fitzroy
Career highlights: 5th Blenheim 1999, 5th Chatsworth 2003
Aim in 2005: fun horse being targeted at one-days
Another Garrison (George) 10yo bay by Mandalus, 306 BE points
Owners: Diana Dickinson and Lynne Potter
Career highlights: 11th Bramham 2004
Strengths: cross-country
Aim in 2005: three-star
Artic Fox Too (Graham) 8yo grey, Australian TB, 97 BE points
Owners: Rodney and Heidi Day
Career highlights: 5th Windsor, 9th Weston Park
Strengths: jumping
Aim in 2005: three-star
Best Wishes (Sal) 8yo bay mare by Jashin, 52 BE points
Owner: Judy Graham
Strengths: she missed 2004 season through injury but is a very exciting prospect
Aim in 2005: two-star
Kif DEstruval (Kev) 6yo bay gelding by Epervier Bleu, 20 BE points
Owner: John Hales
Strengths: will soon upgrade to intermediate. Has a big future
Aim in 2005: two-star
