Gemma Owen’s first public ride in the Markel International Magnolia Cup ended with a fourth-place finish at Goodwood on Thursday, a debut that showed both the challenge and the appeal of taking up the sport at racing speed.
The runner-up in the 2022 series of Love Island, and a successful dressage rider, had been training at Manor House Stables in Cheshire with Hugo Palmer before stepping into a race day atmosphere that is a long way from the controlled pace of dressage.
Michael Owen said the experience was “quite strange” and “nerve-racking”, with safety very much on his mind. He added: “However, going 40mph on the back of a horse is never the safest thing to do.”
That reaction was understandable. For a family that has been around elite sport for years, the Magnolia Cup still brought its own pressure, particularly when the horse can leave the stalls behind in an instant.
Missed start, strong finish
Michael Owen said his daughter “missed the start by quite a long way”, adding that it was frustrating because everyone knew how important that part of the race would be. He also said she had been told “a hundred times” about the start, but stressed: “she rode well so it’s all good.”
Gemma Owen herself made clear that the opening moments were the biggest problem. “My start wasn’t great, I got a bit boxed in,” she said. “I got the rail, he travelled well and finished strong. If I’d got a better start I’d have got a better result.”
For a first ride, that is a fair assessment. The result may not have been the win she wanted, but it was still a solid debut in a competitive charity race at one of the sport’s most recognisable meetings.
Why this may not be her last ride
Michael Owen gave the clearest hint yet that this could be the start of more appearances in the saddle. “I have a suspicion this won’t be her last ride in public as she has thoroughly loved the process,” he said. He also revealed that Hugo Palmer had already been talking to her “a week or two ago” about the possibility of riding in lady amateur races.
That would fit with the way Gemma Owen spoke about the experience. “It was amazing from start to finish,” she said. “I’ve loved the training, seeing what goes on behind the scenes.”
She was also honest about how different the race was from dressage. “Dressage is controlled, slow and precise, this is the opposite, this all happens so quick,” she said, before adding: “I have a new-found respect for jockeys and appreciate the sport a lot more having done it.”
Michael Owen also made clear that she would not be satisfied with simply taking part. “I’d say she’s as competitive as me, so she won’t be happy she’s been beaten,” he said. Gemma Owen echoed that competitive edge in her own words: “I want to win one now.”
For now, the headline is straightforward: a debut ride, a fourth-place finish, and a clear sense that Gemma Owen has enjoyed enough of the process to want another go.
