On March 5, 2022, 17-year-old Mimi Gochman of New York, New York, received the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation’s 2022 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy at a special ceremony during the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4*, presented by Premier Equestrian in Wellington, Florida, during the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival.
Each year, the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy is awarded to a Junior/Young Rider in an Olympic discipline who exemplifies the Team’s ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship. Gochman, who earned the gold medal in the $25,000 Young Rider Individual Final at the 2021 Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships (NAYC) presented by USHJA in Traverse City, Michigan, joins an elite group of riders that have successfully represented the U.S. on an international level.
“I’m super honored to have been given this award and to be among all those amazing and talented riders that have won it in the past,” stated Gochman. “It was amazing to see who else has won this award and to see what they have gone on to do. It made me feel very hopeful for the future.
“I think being chosen for this award reflects what my parents and my trainers have instilled in me,” continued Gochman. “I’ve always been told horsemanship comes first. Yes, it’s fun to win, and it’s fun to be successful, but it is most important that you’re polite, kind, and care about the horses. I’m honored that [my focus on horsemanship has] been acknowledged, and I’m thrilled to be selected.”
Gochman represented the U.S. on several Young Rider teams in 2021 and consistently produced fault-free efforts. In addition to winning the Young Rider Individual Final at NAYC aboard Celina BH, a 12-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Gochman Sport Horses LLC, Gochman also helped Zone 2 earn a team silver medal at the same competition. Following those victories, Gochman and Celina BH competed on the FEI Jumping Nations Cup CSIOY team in Kronenberg, the Netherlands. The pair produced consistent clean rounds to help the team earn a sixth-place finish and then continued on to win the Ashford Farm Grand Prix CSIOY at the same competition.
Gochman notes that her international experiences as a Young Rider progressing through the high performance pathway have been invaluable. “I’ve been very lucky to be put on some of the Young Rider teams and also have the opportunity to watch from the sidelines as they compete,” shared Gochman. “I’ve been able to talk to riders like Brian Moggre about what his pathway was like, and I’ve also had the chance to watch and learn from other people who are doing what I aspire to do.
“I’m very thankful [to the USET Foundation for this award and to my team] for everything that has come my way,” concluded Gochman. “I would never be here without Ken Berkley, Scott Stewart, my parents, Stacia Madden, and the whole team at Baxter Hill including Amanda Derbyshire, Amanda Mecca, Ghita Ziani, Kate Bacon, and all of the grooms.”
The Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Award was established in 1983 by Patrick Guerrand-Hermès in memory of his son, Lionel, an Olympic hopeful trained by U.S. Eventing Coach, Jack LeGoff, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident at the age of 18. A perpetual trophy designed by Patrick Guerrand-Hermès is inscribed annually with the winner’s name and permanently displayed at the USET Foundation’s headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey.
Previous Winners:
1983 – Mark Leone
1984 – Jeffery Welles
1985 – Holly Mitten
1986 – Gregory A. Best
1987 – Susanne Owen
1988 – Christopher Kappler
1989 – Mollie Bliss
1990 – Kim Keenan
1991 – McLain Ward
1992 – Abigail Lufkin
1993 – Mark Combs
1994 – Gabriella Salick
1995 – Megan Johnstone
1996 – Jonathan Elliot
1997 – Alison Firestone
1998 – Bruce Davidson Jr.
1999 – Chad Geeter
2000 – Elise Haas
2001 – Marilyn Little
2002 – Clark Montgomery
2003 – Will Faudree
2004 – Kristin Schmolze
2005 – Brianne Goutal
2006 – Katie Hamilton
2007 – Carolyn Kelly
2008 – Hillary Dobbs
2009 – Laura Noyes
2010 – Jennifer Waxman
2011 – Tiana Coudray
2012 – Lucy Davis
2013 – Reed Kessler
2014 – Katie Dinan
2015 – Lillie Keenan
2016 – Lucy Deslauriers
2017 – Chloe Reid
2018 – Jennifer Gates
2019 – Daisy Farish
2020 – Brian Moggre
2021 – Hannah Irons
