She was the top-placed American. Lauren Hough of Ocala, Fla., at 23 the youngest member of the U.S. squad, wound up tied for 15th, while Laura Kraut of Oconomowac, Wis. decided not to go in the last round of the day.

All were first-time Olympians, but Engle vowed she'd be back, noting her mount, Hidden Creek's Perin, is only in his first year of grand prix experience.

"I'm very pleased with the way he went," she said, noting she'll keep pointing toward the next Games because the secret of success in her sport is "try and try again." Engle had just one knockdown in the first round of the competition, but dropped two rails in the second round over a different and shorter course.

"Overall, he jumped beautifully," she said.

Hough, who rode Clasiko, was equally satisfied with her mount, who had 8 penalties in each round. "If I can keep him, he could be something special at the big shows," said Hough. "To me, he keeps getting better and better."

Hough, who had never ridden in a Nations' Cup before coming to the Games, said she learned a lot here. "I think the difference between big shows and a championship is that at a championship, you have to fight for every step of it." Kraut had 12 faults in her first round with Liberty, noting that the wind howling through the showgrounds was "deafening" and something her horse doesn't like.

She decided not to return for the second round, feeling the horse had done enough. Kraut believed that without the chance of the medal, it was better to save the young mare for another day.