Mimi Gochman and Iron Maiden Are Rock Solid to Win Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala Presented by MARS Equestrian
February 14, 2026 - Ocala, FL
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Twenty-two-year-old Mimi Gochman (USA) scored her first five-star and first World Cup victory in the $300,000 1.60m CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala, presented by MARS Equestrian on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). The rising star was able to best Olympians Eduardo Pereira de Menezes (BRA) and Cian O’Connor (IRL) for the biggest win to date in her career.
There were 14 Olympians and 11 countries represented in the class of 38 entries. The course, designed by Bernardo Costa Cobral of Portugal, was delicate and challenging, which allowed only four to advance to the jump-off. Of those, Gochman and Iron Maiden were the only double clear.
Gochman was first to go in the jump-off, having been the trailblazer in the opening round in the 17th spot in the order. They sped around the course with a bobble at the fifth jump where Iron Maiden made a huge effort to stay clear. They finished the course in 41.79 seconds.
“He can sometimes get a bit stressed out in the jump-off, and I just wanted to keep it really smooth with him,” said Gochman. “I was already so thrilled with the performance from the first round, and he really stepped up. He kind of saved me a little bit at one of the jumps, and he really gave me a good effort, so I was very happy.”
Following Gochman into the ring was Eduardo Pereira de Menezes (BRA) and H5 Ozzy vd Bisschop. While they are a new pair with little jump-off experience, they put in a solid performance with four faults in a time of 42.65 seconds, which would hold up for second place.
“He was jumping up to 1.30m, 1.40m, not so long ago, so I'm delighted that he gave that effort,” said de Menezes of the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion by Diamant de Semilly x Utrillo Z owned by H5 Sport Horses LLC. “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.”
H5 Sport Horses is owned by the Hank family, who has sponsored de Menezes for 21 years. The youngest rider in the family, Carlos Hank Guerreiro, has developed from a four-year-old uninterested in horses to one of the brightest stars of the Mexican show jumping team who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in that time. The H5 team began in Mexico and moved to the United States, where they were only supposed to stay for a year.
“I think we have quite a unique partnership,” expressed de Menezes, who represented Brazil in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and two Pan American Games. “It's an incredible relationship because we have all grown together. The first year in the United States became two, then three, and then four. My sport career started to grow with the incredible support that they have always given me. I’m really proud of this relationship. They are my sponsors, but they're my family too.”
Hilary Scott (AUS) and Oaks Milky Way, a 19-year-old homebred Australian Warmblood mare (Clearway x Jalisco B) owned by Alice Cameron, were the next to go in the jump-off. Despite having the fastest of time of 41.52 seconds, it came at the expense of eight jumping faults, which left them in fourth place.
Cian O’Connor (IRL), the winner of this class in 2025, was the last to go in the jump-off. While he and Kentucky TN, owned by Karlswood Partners, made a good bid for the win in 43.36 seconds, a rail down earned them third place.
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, time, and patience.
“I really had to meet him halfway,” he said of the 11-year-old KWPN stallion by Verdi TN x Gratianus. “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.”
Gochman started riding Iron Maiden – whose barn name is “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 of the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Clarimo x Kashmir van’t Schuttershof. “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 the Final.
“I’m super excited,” she remarked. “I wasn't expecting to win, and I'm very proud of my team and grateful to my parents and everyone at Baxter Hill and Oakland. It's been a huge team effort, and it's something I've been working toward for a long time, so I'm super, super happy.”
The sentiment was echoed by course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral, who said he was like a “kid in a candy store” when choosing jumps and decorations from WEC’s vast and stunning inventory.
“The course was fair on the horses, even horses with less experience,” he said. “I thought it was great sport in the best venue in the world, so I couldn't be happier than this. I'm very fortunate to design at this level and to have these kinds of riders riding my courses. It's an honor and a blessing to be here.”
This was the final qualifying opportunity for riders hoping to go to the 2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Fort Worth, TX, on April 8-12. The final qualified riders for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2025/2026 - North American League for the East Coast are:
Kent Farrington
Mimi Gochman
Laura Kraut
McLain Ward
Aaron Vale
Katherine Dinan
Jacob Pope
The final qualified riders for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2025/2026 - North American League for the West Coast are:
Skylar Wireman
Karl Cook
Kyle King
Joining the U.S. contingent qualifying for the Final are Luis Alejandro Plascencia O. and Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia of Mexico, Nikki Walker and Erynn Ballard of Canada, as well as four foreign riders who competed in the North American League: Conor Swail (IRL), Daniel Coyle (IRL), Rene Dittmer (GER), and Daniel Bluman (ISR).
Ginger-Blue Is Red Hot
Ben Maher and his trusty partner Ginger-Blue, owned by Jane Forbes Clark, repeated their winning performance from Thursday, this time racing to the top of the leaderboard in the $62,500 1.50m Speed CSI5*-W class. They set the early time to beat at 56.56 seconds and couldn’t be caught.
Wednesday’s winners, Erynn Ballard (CAN) and Her Game Ball BG, a 14-year-old KWPN mare by Carambole x Burggraaf NV owned by Mary Frances Looke, slotted into second just off the pace in 56.64 seconds. Laura Kraut (USA) and Tres Bien Z, an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Toulon x Nabab de Reve owned by St. Bride’s Farm, placed third with a time of 57.12 seconds.
Speaking of his jump-off plan, Maher explained, “The double of verticals were early on, and I'm able to really ride at them. It’s slightly unconventional compared to some horses where you have to be more careful, but I really trust her quality, and we know each other well. After that some of the distances were short, but I was able to just keep a little bit of outside line and keep traveling forward, which made the lines slightly quicker. They got very, very close, but luckily, it worked for us today.”
“She's amazing,” said Maher of the 15-year-old KWPN mare by Plot Blue x Royal Bravour. “She obviously likes it here in Ocala. She has a deceiving stride. One minute she can have quite a big stride, and then it can get small very quick, which is what makes her so fast.”
While Ginger-Blue is an easy horse to maintain and manage, Maher admits she does have “a little bit of attitude.” He added, “I mean, she knows that she's good. She knows her job in the ring, and we trust that. She seems to be enjoying her job and her life.”
Show Schedule and Results
Competition at WEC – Ocala this week concludes on Sunday, February 15, with the $65,000 Wild Horse Refuge Grand Prix CSI2* at 11 a.m. followed by the $40,000 Emma’s Patisserie Grand Prix.
Five-star competition returns to WEC – Ocala on March 18-22, 2026, for the Longines League of Nations™ CSIO5*. Information on that event can be found HERE.
This event is made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and marketing partners, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau.
