Despite having a “cheeky side”, this eventer has an impressive record at five-star level with rider Imogen Murray. Hannah Lemieux speaks to his connections to find out what makes him tick...
Ivar Gooden
Stablename: Charles
Age: 13
Breeding: Young Convinced x Coevers Diamond Boy
Owners: Aivar Ward and MS Team
Rider: Imogen Murray
Breeder: Pat Coffey
Greatest achievements: sixth Burghley CCI5*-L 2019; sixth Le Pin au Haras CCI4*-S 2019; eighth Badminton CCI5*-L 2019; first Great Witchingham advanced intermediate 2019; 12th Blenheim CCI3* 2016 (now CCI4*-L); third Barbury CIC2* 2016 (now CCI3*-S); completed Badminton and Burghley 2017, 2018 and 2019, finishing in the top 21 every time.
Rider Imogen Murray says…
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"}
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