The pressure was on anchor rider Lisa for this one, because Guenter Seidel had difficulties with the temperamental Nikolaus 7 and couldn't break 70 percent during his appearance this afternoon.

Spain was threatening U.S. efforts to move up from its usual bronze, so Lisa had to produce with the stunning chestnut stallion Relevant. Produce she did, though Relevant tried so hard he got off balance in two piaffes, which dropped his score to a mere 74.200 percent. Remember the era (not so long ago) when U.S. dressage riders were thrilled at the thought of getting 70 per cent?

	Members of the silver medalist U.S. dressage team are, from left: Sue Blinks, Lisa Wilcox, Guenter Seidel and Debbie McDonald. In front is team chef d'equipe Jessica Ransehausen. © Charles Mann

"Fiona's watching today," Sally said, and I agreed. She would have been enraptured by the elaborate medal ceremony. Winners were led into the ring by a mounted troop in 19th-century military regalia, followed by horses each bearing two riders, a man in the saddle and a woman wearing colorful flounced dresses seated sideways behind him. A pretty picture, but I was hoping their horses weren't the same ones we saw in the afternoon exhibition, who were trained to rear side-by-side in unison. I'd hate to see the gals in their pretty outfits go sliding off.

As I continue telling you about the dressage, I want to briefly introduce Lisa, because you may not be as familiar with her as with the other team members, all of whom went to the selection trials in the U.S. Lisa skipped them because she's based in Germany and shows there, where she trains with her boyfriend, Ernst Hoyos of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Today, she spoke of how he much he has helped her, and couldn't help shedding a tear when she thought of his contributions to her efforts. Lisa, by the way, looks like a fashion model. I noticed that her eye makeup somehow was still perfect after her intense ride in the heat before thousands of fans knowledgeable enough to gasp at Relevant's piaffe bobbles. She could do a mascara commercial.

Her turn in the arena came right after European Champion Ulla Salzgeber, who was the favorite for the individual title with the reliable Rusty. However, Ulla was scored below her teammate, Nadine Capellmann, and the fabulous Farbenfroh, my white-stockinged chestnut favorite who went before the judges yesterday and earned 77.960 percent.

Ulla thought her horse did very well to be marked at 75.640 percent, considering he had a high fever earlier this week and missed several days of training. Impossibly slender, with smartly cropped black hair and a very positive approach, Ulla said she prefers being in a come-from-behind position and does better that way.

We'll see how she fares tomorrow in the Grand Prix Special, where she'll also face competition from the highest-scoring American rider, Debbie McDonald, who stands third on Brentina (74.640). Going into these Games, no one was thinking about an individual medal for the U.S., but it's a real possibility now.