World Cup Jumping Ocala: 21-year-old Mimi Gochman wins, Thieme eighth
21-year-old Mimi Gochman makes the competition look old in the Ocala World Cup show jumping competition
from Jan Tönjes 
Mimi Gochman and Iron Maiden, winner of the Ocala World Cup show jumping competition, have known each other for just under a year. The gray horse previously rode under the Colombian flag. In Ocala, the 21-year-old student brought the gelding to the start with a clear idea. “In January 2025, I sat down and thought to myself that I wanted to ride in the World Cup Final. I have two excellent horses and I want to try myself out in a championship format. I think that’s important.”
Perhaps the location of this year’s finals may also play a role. Show jumping and dressage riders will meet in Fort Worth, Texas, for the finals in April. And Texas is the place where her grandfather’s company, Academy Sports, an outfitter for sports and outdoor activities, originated. Mimi’s father sold the chain in 2011, with an annual turnover of more than two billion dollars at the time.
Mimi has her sights set on the World Cup final
It is quite possible that Mimi’s mind game from January 2025 will come true. After her victory in Ocala, she is in third place in the North American ranking. Iron Maiden, a son of the Holsteiner Clarimo registered with the Zangersheide studbook, at least has everything it takes, says the rider: “I always had the feeling that he had the potential and the ability. He is super courageous and can jump mountains,” says Gochman. “Over the last few months, we’ve been working on staying consistent … This week we decided to push him a bit more and he’s lived up to expectations and really impressed us.”
Only one clear round in the jump-off of the Ocala World Cup jumping competition
Four pairs made it through to the jump-off. In the end, Mimi Gochman was the only rider with zero faults. That was exactly how she had planned it: Iron Maiden “is a horse that doesn’t have a lot of experience with fast jump-offs, especially with me. The partnership is not as well developed as maybe with [my] other horses. Sometimes he gets a bit stressed in the jump-off, almost anxious. I just wanted to take it easy with him… He really improved and showed me so many beautiful jumps, and he really tried very hard. The goal was a double clear round.”
There is a simple reason for Gochman’s Asian appearance: her parents, who live in New York and Florida, adopted her in China when she was one year old.
Brazil’s Eduardo Pereira de Menezes came second with Ozzy vd Bishopp ahead of Ireland’s Cian O’Connor with the eleven-year-old Verdi son Kentucky.
André Thieme, who as always spends the first few months of the year in Florida, was the fastest on the normal course with Paule S. But the pair had to accept a knockdown. So it was eighth place for the 2023 European Champion. Things did not go quite so well for Richard Vogel and Abou-Chaker. The Westphalian, who was ridden by Sophie Hinners last season, came out of the course with twelve penalty points. The chestnut is competing in 1.55 meter courses for the first time this season. The pair already finished on the podium in a Grand Prix in Wellington in January.
