Biography

British rider Imogen Murray (25), one of the younger riders this year, won the prize for the highest placed rider Under-25 when placed 21^st with Ivar Gooden on her debut in 2017. Last year the combination finished in 11^th place and won the Glentrool trophy for the highest climb after dressage – 54 places. They also have two top twenty placings at Burghley.

Imogen, who has a yard in the heart of Leicestershire, has been riding since the age of four and took up eventing aged 13 after a successful showing career in both working hunter and show hunter ponies, regularly competing at the Royal International Horse Show and Horse of the Year Show. In 2011 Imogen was long-listed for the British Junior team (she broke her ankle just before the final trial) and in 2013 with Wiseguy IV was short listed for the British Young Rider team. In 2014 the pair completed Burghley – Imogen’s first four-star. In 2017 she led the British team to second place in the Nations Cup event at Le Pin Haras – her first Nations cup. Imogen trains with Tracie Robinson and Fred Bergendorff.

Ivar Gooden is a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Bred by Pat Coffey, he is by the thoroughbred Young Convinced (also the sire of Mark Todd’s former four-star ride Major Milestone) out of a mare by Coevers Diamond Boy. He was purchased through Goresbridge sales and came to the UK as a four-year-old. In 2013 the pair was shortlisted for the world young horse championship and the following year completed the seven-year-old world young horse championship CCI2*. In 2017 Ivar Gooden completed his first four-star at Badminton and at the end of that year was only 1 of 2 horses to have completed both Badminton and Burghley with a double clear.