CIAN O’Connor and the 11-year-old stallion Kentucky TN’s excellent form continued in the big class last week at the World Equestrian Center, Ocala, as the Olympian and World number 22 finished third in the $300,000 1.60m CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup.

Defending the crown he won with Bentley De Sury last year, O’Connor guided Kentucky around the Florida course for a magnificent clear round and finished in third place after the jump-off, behind winner Mimi Gochman with Iron Maiden, and Eduardo de Pereira Menezes with H5 Ozzy vs Bisschop. Just four combinations made it into the jump-off with the Irish Olympian picking up four faults against the clock.

It was Gochman’s (USA) first five-star and first World Cup victory, and the biggest win to date in her career.

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.”

O’Connor 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 travelled 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 programme with him. Generally, when I buy any horse, I follow the programme 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’s win qualified her for her first Longines FEI World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 8th-12th. The final qualified riders are: Kent Farrington, Mimi Gochman, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, Aaron Vale, Katherine Dinan, Jacob Pope, Skylar Wireman, Karl Cook, Kyle King, Luis Alejandro Plascencia O. and Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia of Mexico, Nikki Walker and Erynn Ballard of Canada, as well as four foreign riders including Irishmen Conor Swail and Daniel Coyle and Rene Dittmer (GER) and Daniel Bluman (ISR).

Swail is the leading qualifier from the North American League with 51 points. Kent Farrington (USA) sits second with 42 points, followed by Gochman on 37 points.