OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The United States of America’s Mimi Gochman and Iron Maiden won the $300,000 1,60m CSI-5*-W World Cup Ocala Presented by MARS at the World Equestrian Center.

Gochman was the only rider to go double clear in the Longines Federation Equestre Internationale World Cup Ocala Presented by MARS on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, earning a berth at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, April 8-12.

Gochman and Iron Maiden completed the first-round course in 73.59 and stopped the timer on the short course in the jump-off with a time of 41.79 to earn top honors. Rocking Basilisk Farm, LLC’s Jasmine Weber Talley, names all of their horses after rock bands.

It was a watershed moment for Gochman, 22, as it was her first World Cup victory, and she was super excited, something she wasn’t expecting, as it was a huge team effort, and something she had been working toward for a long time.

The time allowed on the first-round course was 76 seconds, with only four clear rounds of the 38 rider and horse combinations. The first round featured 14 obstacles and 17 jumping efforts. The course was designed by Level 4 Course Designer Bernardo Costa Cabral.

“I think definitely having a tight time allowed made it, so we had to be on our toes, I think that was super important,” said Gochman. “My horse is naturally a bit fast. He can honestly almost rush the jumps a bit, so for me I just wanted to focus on turning well and turning tight and not spending too much time in the turns, not to put too much pressure on him.”

Gochman’s strategy found her taking the course one jump at a time, and following the plan, as the course was challenging but fair.

The horse and rider have been together since the beginning of last summer, and Gochman always felt that the 11-year gray gelding had the capability and scope. This past week Gochman and her team made the decision to step up Iron Maiden’s game a bit more by competing at the five-star level, answering all the questions convincingly.

“He’s super, super brave and he can jump over mountains,” said Gochman. “For the last couple of months, we’ve just really worked on being consistent and getting some of the rideability issues out of the way. I always knew that he was super special.”

Reaching her objective 

World Cup Finals had been a goal of Gochman, having sat down at the beginning of January 2025, and it was her objective to qualify the prestigious event. She has two fantastic horses in her barn that are ready to go, and the rider is looking forward to testing herself against the world’s best in a championship format. Saturday’s win punched her ticket.

This was Gochman’s second time competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. She spends the bulk of her time in Wellington, Fla.

“I think the horses really enjoy coming up here,” said Gochman. “It’s a new atmosphere and it’s super fresh. The stables are so nice. They’re really easy to work out of. I think the horses absolutely love it here. The crowds come here and they cheer, and I really enjoy it. I’m hoping to make more trips as the years go by.”

Eduardo Pereira De Menezes, 46, Brazil and H5 Ozzy vd Bisschop, a 12-year-old stallion, owned by H5 Sport Horses LLC, placed second, having the fastest four-faulter in the jump-off, stopping the timer in 42.65.

H5 Ozzy vd Bisschop is new to this level, and performed admirably, with Menezes acknowledging that H5 Ozzy vd Bisschop isn’t the fastest horse, but he was really proud to be able to track the first round and get inside the time allowed to qualify to return for the short course. Menezes whose horse has a huge stride, stuck to his game plan, and it kept them in the time allowed.

“We did our best in the jump-off, and even if I was clear, I couldn’t catch her,” said Menezes. “I’m happy to be second.”

Menezes described the World Equestrian Center as the most incredible place he’s been.

“Everything is great here, we always come every year,” said Menezes. “I’ll be back for the Nations Cup week. I was here two weeks ago. It’s a fantastic place.”

Cian O’Connor, 46, a four-time Olympian representing Ireland and who won the individual bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, finished third, on the 11-year-old KWPN stallion Kentucky TN. After going clear in the first round, he completed the short course in 43.36, having one rail down, like Menezes.

Kentucky was described by O’Connor as a special horse. He had only been riding him for the past seven or eight months. Kentucky TN was quite sensitive when O’Connor first began riding him, having been ridden previously by Zoe Osterhoff, where his previous rider and the equine athlete had a strong bond and a good relationship.

“I really had to meet him halfway, he had to get to know me, and me him,” said O’Connor. “We’ve taken our time with that.”

O’Connor thought it was a difficult course, well built, and where one had to be efficient on the turns. Kentucky TN demonstrated his athleticism by jumping the jumping efforts easily. O’Connor loves when a course is unjumpable, the more difficult the better.

“In the jump-off, I got to see the others go, Mimi had a fantastic round, and he’s still a little bit inexperienced,” said O’Connor. “He’s learning his way against the clock. I was happy with him.”

O’Connor has been following Gochman over the past few years, going to Wellington, and has witnessed her evolution and progression as a horsewoman, noting that the 22-year-old is an outstanding rider, and what she’s achieved is amazing.

Hilary Scott, Australia, and the 19-year-old mare Oaks Milky Way, were the only other combination to have a clear first round and would finish fourth after their performance in the jump-off.

Cabral described the course as fair for the horses and rider demanding.

“It’s an honor to be here, ” said Cabral. “I’m very fortunate to design at this level and to be fortunate enough to have these kinds of riders riding my courses. It’s a blessing. I couldn’t ask for more.”