A storming finish from the top Kiwi eventers was not quite enough to give them gold at the Aachen International Festival in Germany overnight, with the title instead going to the all-conquering British.
The Kiwis had two riders in the top ten, with Clarke Johnstone sixth on Orient Express and Caroline Powell seventh on Lenamore.
"I am so pleased that we've come out at an event like this and done so well," Johnstone said. "It is just fantastic."
All of the New Zealand team members moved up the rankings on the back of their cross country efforts.
World champs team bronze medallist Johnstone, 24, went clear and picked up just 1.6 time faults over a very challenging cross-country course, underlining his determination to make the final cut for the London Olympics.
Powell, his world champs teammate, also went clear with 2.8 time, to finish in seventh spot. Both Andrew Nicholson on Nereo and Jonathan Paget on Clifton Promise were clear and inside time, finishing 15th and 16th respectively.
Nicholson said the course was very good to ride. "I have a really fast horse, we started off a bit too quick, but once you have found a good rhythm you should stick to it, so I didn't try to slow him down and he did his job very well. Full credit to the course designer. The crowd was fantastic and I found it very exciting riding here."
Newcomer Jonelle Richards and Flintstar were the first out for the Kiwis over the cross country course, and rode a brilliant trailblazing ride, to finish 33rd.
Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance director Sarah Harris was rapt with the whole team, saying they're right on track for London.
"I couldn't ask for any more from them," she says. "We were in the medal hunt right from the start. The cross-country was tough and time very tight, so all our crew did very well."
She had plenty of praise for Johnstone, whose performance came on the back of world cup wins in both Kihikihi and Sydney earlier this season.
"He came out here and his sixth placing is the result of a well deserved performance. He has really shown what he is capable of."
ESNZ eventing high performance coach Erik Duvander says there is still work to be done by the whole team, but he was chuffed with the result.
"All our riders are working very hard and improving all the time. There was a lot of atmosphere out there but they were good to the end."
World champion Michael Jung (Germany) and La Biosthetique-Sam FBWwere all class on their way to individual victory, finishing off a dominating performance with just 2.4 time faults over the cross country.