IT WAS Co. Down's Dermott Lennon who turned in the best Irish score of the day with a second place in the Accumulator competition at Birmingham, England this afternoon (Friday) with Woods Rosbotham's 'Hallmark Elite'.

The 40 year-old former World Champion earned 5,000 euro for his runner-up effort, losing out on the winner's prize to Britain's Guy Williams by just under two seconds.

Twenty-three year-old Anthony Condon also came close to victory tonight when finishing equal second in the popular Puissance competition at the four-star show with Sue Davies's bay mare 'Wertherroschen', going clear in three jump-offs, but faulting once on the fourth to concede first place to Britain's Mark Bunting.

Tipperary's Shane Breen maintained his consistent form by taking sixth in the Accumulator with the Irish-bred 'Dorada'. He also took a ninth with the Irish-bred 'Camblin' in the British Open Show Jumping Championship qualifier, and is currently fourth in the championship rankings at Birmingham.

Ireland's Billy Twomey and Alex Duffy also took top ten places in the championship competition, Twomey scoring a sixth with 'Tinka's Serenade', and Duffy a seventh on 'Tampa'.