| | Event type
Team, Open
| Date | 29 August – 1 September 1972 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Reitstadion, Riem, München / Military-Gelände Poing, Poing | |
| Participants | 72 from 18 countries | |
| Format | Four rider teams, best three scores to count for the team total. Team/individual competitions held concurrently. | |
Great Britain had won this event in 1968 and came in as the favorites, with their team performing well at the Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials in 1971-72. They were led by Richard Meade, who would win the individual gold medal in München. Switzerland took the lead in the dressage, followed by West Germany, the United States, and then Great Britain in fourth. As always, the endurance phase was critical in determining final placements, with Great Britain leading this phase over West Germany. Going into the jumping Britain had a huge lead, followed by the United States, West Germany, and Australia. The jumping changed nothing, although Britain also won that phase to secure the gold medal, with the United States taking silver and West Germany the bronze.
| Pos | Number | Competitors | Horse | NOC | Points | Dressage | Cross-Country | Jumping | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Great Britain |  GBR | 95.53 | -138.33 (4) | 267.20 (1) | 0.00 (1) | Gold | |||
| – | Richard Meade | Laurieston | 57.73 | -50.67 | 108.40 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Mary Gordon-Watson | Cornishman V | 30.27 | -51.33 | 81.60 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Bridget Parker | Cornish Gold | 7.53 | -59.67 | 77.20 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Mark Phillips | Great Ovation | -134.33 | -36.33 | -98.00 | 0.00 | non-scoring | ||||
| 2 | – | United States |  USA | 10.81 | -129.99 (3) | 170.80 (=3) | -20.50 (3) | Silver | |||
| – | Kevin Freeman | Good Mixture | 29.87 | -51.33 | 91.20 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Bruce Davidson | Plain Sailing | 24.47 | -40.33 | 74.80 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | J. Michael Plumb | Free and Easy | -43.53 | -38.33 | 4.80 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Jimmy Wofford | Kilkenny | -99.83 | -55.33 | -44.00 | -0.50 | non-scoring | ||||
| 3 | – | West Germany |  FRG | -18.00 | -127.00 (2) | 189.20 (2) | -30.00 (=4) | Bronze | |||
| – | Harry Klugmann | Christopher Robert | 8.00 | -54.00 | 62.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Lutz Gössing | Chikago | -0.40 | -70.00 | 89.60 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Karl Schultz | Pisco | -25.60 | -40.00 | 24.40 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Horst Karsten | Sioux | DNF | -33.00 | 37.60 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| 4 | – | Australia |  AUS | -27.86 | -163.00 (8) | 170.80 (=3) | -30.00 (=4) | ||||
| – | Bill Roycroft | Warrathoola | 29.60 | -36.00 | 65.60 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Richard Sands | Depeche | 24.87 | -64.33 | 99.20 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Brian Schrapel | Wakool | -82.33 | -68.33 | 6.00 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | James Roycroft | Furtive | -296.12 | -62.67 | -213.20 | -20.25 | non-scoring | ||||
| 5 | – | East Germany |  GDR | -127.93 | -191.33 (=15) | 143.60 (5) | -10.00 (2) | ||||
| – | Rudolf Beerbohm | Ingolf | 3.80 | -71.00 | 74.80 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Jens Niehls | Big-Ben | -60.00 | -84.00 | 34.00 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Joachim Brohmann | Uranio | -71.73 | -51.33 | -20.40 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Hellmuth Gille | Pflicht | -74.20 | -69.00 | 34.80 | -40.00 | non-scoring | ||||
| 6 | – | Switzerland |  SUI | -156.43 | -118.00 (1) | 98.80 (8) | -42.50 (9) | ||||
| – | Paul Hürlimann | Grand Times | -11.03 | -41.33 | 50.80 | -20.50 | |||||
| – | Toni Bühler | Wukari | -19.87 | -38.67 | 38.80 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Alfred Schwarzenbach | Big Boy | -125.53 | -58.33 | -65.20 | -2.00 | |||||
| – | Max Hauri | Red Baron | DNF | -38.00 | 9.20 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| 7 | – | Soviet Union |  URS | -190.06 | -151.33 (6) | 138.40 (7) | -40.00 (7) | ||||
| – | Sergey Mukhin | Reisfeder | -0.13 | -43.33 | 53.20 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Valentin Gorelkin | Rok | -34.93 | -65.33 | 60.40 | -30.00 | |||||
| – | Vladimir Lanyugin | Zimar | -155.00 | -45.00 | -110.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Mamadzhan Ismailov | Trest | DNF | -63.00 | 24.80 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| 8 | – | Italy |  ITA | -203.58 | -188.00 (12) | 142.00 (6) | -32.25 (6) | ||||
| – | Alessandro Argenton | Woodland | 43.33 | -48.67 | 92.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Dino Costantini | Lord Jim | -98.18 | -78.33 | 12.40 | -32.25 | |||||
| – | Mario Turner | Forgotten Fred | -148.73 | -70.33 | -78.40 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Stefano Angioni | Sauvage | DNF | -69.00 | 37.60 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| 9 | – | Ireland |  IRL | -219.41 | -189.00 (13) | 77.60 (9) | -50.75 (11) | ||||
| – | Bill Buller | Benka | -56.13 | -73.33 | 47.20 | -30.00 | |||||
| – | Ronnie McMahon | San Carlos | -67.33 | -55.33 | -12.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| – | Patrick, Baron Connolly-Carew | Tawney Port | -95.95 | -68.00 | -7.20 | -20.75 | |||||
| – | Bill McLernon | Ballingarry | DNF | -65.67 | 37.60 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| 10 | – | Poland |  POL | -281.60 | -142.00 (5) | 34.80 (13) | -50.00 (10) | ||||
| – | Jacek Wierzchowiecki | Gniew | -30.47 | -39.67 | 29.20 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Marek Małecki | Signor | -109.00 | -57.00 | -32.00 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Jan Skoczylas | Wandal | -142.13 | -45.33 | -86.80 | -10.00 | |||||
| – | Wojciech Mickunas | Tenor | DNF | -64.67 | 37.60 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| 11 | – | France |  FRA | -338.56 | -176.33 (9) | -94.40 (17) | -40.50 (8) | ||||
| – | Michel Robert | Vandale | -27.13 | -70.33 | 73.20 | -30.00 | |||||
| – | Armand Bigot | Valseur D | -133.80 | -53.00 | -60.80 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Dominique Bentejac | Trou Normand | -177.63 | -60.33 | -106.80 | -10.50 | |||||
| – | François Fabius | Ut Majeur | -205.40 | -63.00 | -132.40 | -10.00 | non-scoring | ||||
| 12 | – | Austria |  AUT | -485.60 | -156.34 (7) | -75.20 (16) | -60.00 (12) | ||||
| – | Ferdinand Croy | Etruska | -54.27 | -50.67 | 16.40 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Friedrich Resch | Felhoes | -172.80 | -50.00 | -102.80 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Wolf-Dieter Rihs | Wieland | -258.53 | -63.33 | -175.20 | -20.00 | |||||
| – | Rüdiger Wassibauer | Sans Peur | DNF | -55.67 | 11.20 | – | non-scoring | ||||
| – | Bulgaria |  BUL | – | -190.67 (14) | -70.80 (15) | – | |||||
| – | Yordan Ivanov | Liberia | -173.75 | -67.00 | -86.00 | – | |||||
| – | Nikola Dimitrov | Garona | DNF | -66.33 | -301.20 | – | |||||
| – | Gocho Milev | Gondola | DNF | -65.67 | -11.20 | – | |||||
| – | Boris Stefanov | Artek | DNF | -58.67 | 26.40 | – | |||||
| – | Hungary |  HUN | – | -194.33 (17) | 37.60 (12) | – | |||||
| – | István Szabácsy | Adonisz | -153.13 | -88.33 | -54.80 | – | |||||
| – | József Horváth | Dariusz | DNF | -55.33 | 16.80 | – | |||||
| – | József Varró | Abasar | DNF | -57.00 | 14.40 | – | |||||
| – | János Krizsán | Dervis | DNF | -82.00 | 6.40 | – | |||||
| – | Mexico |  MEX | – | -178.00 (10) | 75.20 (10) | – | |||||
| – | Mariano Bucio | Tango | DNF | -61.33 | 28.80 | – | |||||
| – | Ramón Mejía | Varello | DNF | -55.00 | 8.80 | – | |||||
| – | Manuel Mendívil | Polo | DNF | -61.67 | 37.60 | – | |||||
| – | David Bárcena | Kornbrand | DNF | -63.00 | 8.80 | – | |||||
| – | Netherlands |  NED | – | -178.67 (11) | -193.60 (18) | – | |||||
| – | Piet van der Schans | Eminent | -309.13 | -66.33 | -212.80 | – | |||||
| – | Hans Brugman | Alfie | DNF | -86.67 | -8.00 | – | |||||
| – | Eddy Stibbe | Autumn Flash | DNF | -54.67 | 27.20 | – | |||||
| – | Maarten Jurgens | Tamerlane | DNF | -57.67 | DNF | – | |||||
| – | Argentina |  ARG | – | -201.67 (18) | 54.40 (11) | – | |||||
| – | Gerardo Jáuregui | Constanza | -301.32 | -77.67 | -200.40 | – | |||||
| – | Alejandro Guglielmi | Aguilucho | DNF | -59.67 | 8.00 | – | |||||
| – | Carlos Alberto Alvarado | Rastreador | DNF | -64.33 | 12.80 | – | |||||
| – | José Eugenio Acosta | Saxofón | DNF | -85.00 | 33.60 | – | |||||
| – | Canada |  CAN | – | -191.33 (=15) | -40.80 (14) | – | |||||
| – | Jim Henry | Harper | -124.67 | -78.67 | -44.00 | – | |||||
| – | Wendy Irving | High Wind | -248.60 | -61.00 | -165.60 | – | |||||
| – | Clint Banbury | Paladin | DNF | -70.00 | -32.00 | – | |||||
| – | Robin Hahn | Lord Jim | DNF | -60.33 | 35.20 | – |