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 (Clarimo x Kashmir van schuttershof) 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.”

$300,000 1.60m CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala, presented by MARS Equestrian Results