Equestrianism: Brakewell wins silver to inspire British revival

After a competition of see-sawing emotions, Britain's three-day event riders climbed back among the sport's élite at the World Equestrian Games, with Jeanette Brakewell moving up from sixth overnight to collect the individual silver medal and the team winning bronze. The British team had seemed unlikely to return home with any medals after disappointing cross-country results on Saturday.

The United States held on to their overnight lead to win the team contest after yesterday's dramatic show jumping finale in which the two leading individuals – John Williams of the winning US team and the Australian individual, Phillip Dutton – dropped to fourth and fifth. The Frenchman Jean Teulere, a 48-year-old veteran, moved up two places to became the individual victor.

Brakewell had performed her role as Britain's trail-blazer with distinction on Saturday, going fast and clear across country on the agile Over to You. Having led after the dressage, British hopes were still buoyant – only to sink as each of the other team members incurred 20 jumping penalties. Leslie Law erred when circling Shear H20 between two linked fences where horses were penalised for crossing their tracks. "It was the biggest mistake of my life, I thought they were numbered separately," Law said.

Pippa Funnell had a refusal when taking the fast route through the first water complex on Supreme Rock. William Fox-Pitt also had an unlucky stop at the same fence with Tamarillo, who lost a shoe going up the bank and slid badly on the descent.

The British were lying fourth overnight and they would have been fifth but for a fall for Blyth Tait, the defending individual champion from New Zealand, whose gallant Ready Teddy keeled over in the second water. Yogi Breisner, chef d'equipe of the Great Britain team, said that he felt quite calm yesterday morning. "I reckoned we had no chance of winning a medal, I only got nervous when poles started flying."

They were sent flying by horses from other teams, notably Australia who had looked to have team silver medals in safe keeping until Stuart Tinney's Ava clobbered six fences, incurring 24 jumping and two time penalties – thus elevating the British team, who had one clear round (from Tamarillo) and two with single errors (Over to You and Supreme Rock).

WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain): Final results of three-day event: 1 Espoir de la Mare (J Teulere, Fr) 45.80 penalties; 2 Over to You (J Brakewell, GB) 52.00; 3 Ypaja Karuso (P Pantsu, Fin) 52.60; 4 Carrick (J Williams, US) 53.00; 5 House Doctor (P Dutton, Aus) 54.80; 6 Winsome Adante (K Vinoski, US) 57.80; 7 Top of the Line (O Bunn, Aus) 58.00; 8 Crocus Jacob (J-L Force, Fr) 63.60; 9 Fenicio (A Nicholson, NZ) 63.80; 10 Giltedge (D O'Connor, US) 64.60. Other GB: 13 Supreme Rock (P Funnell) 73.00; 14 Tamarillo (W Fox-Pitt) 74.00; 18 Shear H20 (L Law) 80.60. Teams (best three scores count): 1 United States 175.40 penalties; 2 France 192.40; 3 Great Britain 199.00; 4 Australia 199.40; 5 New Zealand 224.80; 6 Italy 492.00.