Mimi Gochman Wins Her First Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™

American Mimi Gochman, at 22 years old, won the $300,000 CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala presented by MARS Equestrian, her first-ever World Cup™ and 5* win. Under the lights Saturday at the World Equestrian Center (WEC), Gochman and the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding Iron Maiden (Clarimo x Kashmir van’t Schuttershof) delivered the only double clear jump-off round of the four riders - all from different countries - who qualified in the CSI5*-W class. The field of 38 entries contained 14 Olympians.

Gochman was the only rider to qualify for the jump-off in the first half of the order. Riders in the jump-off returned in the same order in which they qualified, so Gochman was the first to go and put on the pressure with a double-clear round across the eight obstacles/nine jumping efforts.

"He can jump over mountains"

Gochman started riding Iron Maiden – aka “Bruce” - after the lead singer Bruce Dickinson of the band Iron Maiden – in the summer of 2025 and knew he would be a good partner for her. “I always felt like he had the capability and scope,” she said. “He’s super, super brave. He can jump over mountains, and we have worked on being consistent, but I always knew he was super special.”

The win is a milestone for the young rider who set the 2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final as a goal for herself at the beginning of 2025, with the idea of testing herself in a championship format. With her win, she rocketed up the East Coast league standings from the bubble in seventh place to second, securing her spot at her first Longines FEI World Cup™ Final.

Competitors were not only vying for top spots and a decent payout, but for precious qualifying points for the FEI Jumping World Cup™ - North American League (NAL) - finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in April. Ocala was the last leg before the finals and proved highly influential for amassing such points. Given how few qualified for the jump-off, a speedy, four-fault first round mattered.

Rounding out the podium

Brazil's Eduardo Pereira de Menezes and the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion H5 Ozzy vd Bisschop (Diamant de Semilly x Utrillo Z) finished in second place, as the fastest four-faulter in the jump-off following an impressive first round in which the new pair came through with the second double clear, guaranteeing a jump-off.

“He was jumping up to 1.30m, 1.40m, not so long ago, so I’m delighted that he gave that effort,” said Olympian de Menezes. “He’s not the fastest horse, so I was already really proud that I was able to get inside the time allowed in the first round. We did our best in the jump-off. If I was clear, I couldn’t catch Mimi. I’m happy to be second.”

Defending champion Cian O'Connor of Ireland took third with the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Kentucky TN (Verdi TN x Gratianus).

Kentucky TN traveled from former rider Zoe Osterhoff’s barn in Germany to O’Connor’s Karlswood Stables eight months ago. The horse came with quirks, which O’Connor has worked on with advice from Osterhoff, necessitating time and patience.

“I really had to meet him halfway,” O'Connor said of the stallion. “He was very sensitive, and Zoe had a whole program with him. Generally, when I buy any horse, I follow the program of the previous person. You can always adapt, but if somebody else has taken the time to get to know a horse and develop that relationship, it’s nice to get that information.

“Bit by bit, the horse trusted me,” he continued. “This is the first five-star we have done, so I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s just all progression.”

Australia's Hilary Scott and her 19-year-old homebred Australian Warmblood mare Oaks Milky Way (Clearway x Jalisco B) were fourth. They stopped the clock with the fastest jump-off time, but with eight jumping faults.

Course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral of Portugal set up a technical first round with a tight time allowed. Eleven riders picked up four faults, often to the "aaawwws" of the crowd.

Top 10 Results

1 Mimi Gochman (USA) - IRON MAIDEN - 0/0/41.79

2 Eduardo Pereira De Menezes (Brazil) - H5 OZZY VD BISSCHOP - 0/4/42.65

3 Cian O'Connor (Ireland) - KENTUCKY TN - 0/4/43.36

4 Hilary Scott (Australia) - OAKS MILKY WAY - 0/8/41.52

5 Katherine Dinan (USA) - OUT OF THE BLUE SCF - 1/76.21

6 Shane Sweetnam (Ireland) - JAMES KANN CRUZ - 1/76.54

7 Charlotte Murray (USA) - MAGNUM Z - 2/77.39

8 Andre Thieme (Germany) - PAULE S - 4/72.58

9 Mark Bluman (Colombia) - UBILUC - 4/72.67

10 Aaron Vale (USA) - CARISSIMO 25 - 4/72.88

Some of this article is from a WEC Ocala press release.

Photo credit: Andrew Ryback Photography