Although the U.S. team couldn’t keep command of the bronze medal, dropping to fourth place behind Australia by a painful .8 penalties, Amy Tryon rose to the occasion and secured an individual bronze medal with her long-time partner, Poggio.

The Germans maintained the large lead they had in the team standings but lost all three individual medals, with the gold going to Zara Phillips of Great Britain and the silver to Clayton Fredericks of Australia. The British also took home the team silver, with five of their six riders posting clear show jumping rounds.

Although the gold and silver team medals were pretty much decided on Saturday, the U.S. and Australian teams put up a hard fight for the bronze. The U.S. team started off the day just 3.2 penalties ahead, with no room for a single rail. Andrew Hoy kicked off the day for the Australian team, and the rail he dropped at the first element of the triple combination, 12A, gave the U.S. team a little breathing room. But Will Faudree got a bit unlucky for the United States, giving fence 7 a hard rub and then dropping fence 9, a vertical off a right turn.

“I’m mad at myself; it was a stupid mistake,” said Faudree, who finished 19th. “If I’ve been told once, I’ve been told a thousand times, don’t turn until you see it. I turned and didn’t see it and didn’t do anything. I’ve been tough on myself.”

Then, when Megan Jones posted a clean round for Australia, the pressure was on each team’s final two riders. When Winsome Adante just barely touched fence 7 for Kim Severson, the U.S. team was a rail behind, leaving things in the hands of Tryon for the United States and Fredericks for Australia.

“I’m very happy with Dan,” said Severson, who finished 17th individually. “He slipped on take-off and dropped his shoulder a tiny bit.”

Tryon steered Poggio to a beautiful clear round, her only scary moment coming between the triple combination at fence 12ABC to the last fence, the vertical at fence 13, which was set on a tight, six-stride distance. She sat up and took a hard, determined tug in that line.

“When we were walking the course, we were talking about whether Poggio would do five [strides] instead of six,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t forgive myself if he did five and had that last rail. Although halfway down the line, I thought I might have made the wrong decision,” she added with a laugh.

When Fredericks and Ben Along Time posted a clear round, their bronze medal was secured, and Fredericks, who had been in fourth place, had set himself up for an individual medal. He jumped up to the silver when Frank Ostholt of Germany dropped the first rail of the triple at 12A (finishing in fourth place), and then Bettina Hoy of Germany dropped the second fence and the ninth, to finish sixth.

Still, their rounds were good enough to guarantee the Germans the team gold, and the arena was wild with applause for that win as the day’s final rider, Phillips, entered the arena. She said she couldn’t hear the bell ring due to the applause, and she made an extra circle, so that the clock had already started by the time she passed the start line. But even with a rail at 12C and 1 time fault, she became the new world champion.

“I was relieved and shocked,” she said. “I’m not sure what you’re meant to do when you feel that way.”

But she loved jumping in that arena, which was put into use when the smaller stadium sold out. “In eventing, there’s never been anything quite like it,” she said. “[Toytown] felt great. He loves crowds and thinks they’re all there to watch him.”

Phillips dedicated her gold medal to her friend, event rider Sherelle Duke, who was killed in an event in England a week earlier, and all of the British riders wore ribbons in Duke’s red and white colors. “I wanted to get the gold medal for her,” Phillips said. “I’ve had quite a hard week, and I’m relieved I could do it for her.”

Although she had one rail at fence 7, the first element of a five-stride line, and a rail at 12A, U.S. individual rider Karen O’Connor (42nd overall) was pleased with Upstage’s round, since he’d cut his outside hind leg and was a little sore. “I’m very proud of my little horse,” she said. “I was worried he wouldn’t have the power to jump. He gave me a great ride, and I got a lot done for the future.”

Team rider Heidi White had two fences down with Northern Spy to finish 27th. “We were a great group and had a fantastic time, and that’s what we’ll remember,” she said.

Jan Byyny, also riding as an individual, had a rail at fence 4 and the first and third elements of the triple, ending up in 42nd.

“We’re all upset that we didn’t get the bronze, but we tried very hard and are thrilled for Amy,” said Byyny. “I don’t think I can tell you how exciting that is for us, and Poggio deserved it as much as Amy.”

Capt. Mark Phillips said the close team placing wouldn’t be easy on anyone. “Being fourth as a team is kind of like being second at an individual competition,” he said. “You’d rather be well-beaten than lose by a mark. They’ll all be thinking where they could have made up the difference. You’d rather be beaten by 20 or 30 marks, because then you know you were beaten by a much better team on the day.”