Gemma Owen is set for a very different kind of challenge at Goodwood Racecourse this summer. The international dressage rider and businesswoman is among 12 amateur jockeys preparing to compete in the 2026 Markel Magnolia Cup, a prestigious charity race that will open Ladies’ Day at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Thursday 30 July.
The Magnolia Cup has built a strong reputation since launching in 2011, raising more than £3.5 million for charitable causes. That history gives the race a significance that goes well beyond the result itself. It brings together women from sport, business, racing and the media, while also turning a rare ride into a fundraising event with a clear social purpose.
For Owen, the appeal appears to be as much about the learning process as the race itself. Before her preparations began, she had never sat on a racehorse until a couple of months ago. Since then, she has been training at Manor House Stables in Cheshire with Hugo Palmer and Franny Norton, an experience she described as humbling and more demanding than she first expected.
A new discipline, and a steep learning curve
Owen said she is really looking forward to taking part in the Markel Magnolia Cup this year. She added that spending more time at Manor House Stables, seeing how a racing yard runs like clockwork and getting out onto the gallops has been an incredible experience. That is the kind of detail that tends to matter in a race like this: the public sees the finished performance, but the real story is often the speed at which newcomers have to adapt to an entirely different sporting environment.
Her entry also underlines what makes the Magnolia Cup distinctive. This is not a race built around established professionals trying to protect a record. It is a field shaped by variety, with each rider bringing a different background and level of racing experience. That mix is part of the event’s appeal, but it also makes the challenge difficult to judge from the outside.
Owen made clear that she sees that challenge as part of the attraction. She called it an even bigger test than she initially expected, while stressing that she is excited to be involved in a prestigious fundraising event that raises money for charities supporting women and children.
The race itself remains the bigger story. On Thursday 30 July, 12 amateur jockeys will line up at Goodwood Racecourse to open one of the most recognisable days in the British racing calendar. For Owen, it is a chance to enter a new discipline. For the Magnolia Cup, it is another reminder of how a charity race can still carry real sporting intrigue.
