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Gemma Owen has opened up following a heavy fall she suffered during a racecourse gallop, which resulted in “burns, cuts and bruises” one week before her appearance in the Magnolia Cup at Glorious Goodwood.
Daughter of former Premier League footballer Michael Owen, the ex-Love Island contestant was one of 12 female riders to take part in the contest last month, and finished fourth on the Hugo Palmer-trained Turbo Trotter, who ran as Phantom Watch.
The participation of Owen, 23, in the charity event had been thrown into serious doubt seven days previously after she was flung from a horse and into the railing at the conclusion of a routine gallop at Southwell – her first spin on a racecourse.
Speaking on Meet The Owens, a six-part television series released on Amazon Prime which goes behind the scenes with the Owen family, the international dressage rider explained how the fall unfolded.
“It’s kind of all a bit of a blur,” she said. “I was on a horse who was running first time out. She was only young and it did go really well, but they can do exactly what they want. I had bruises up my knee and my ankle. My neck was pretty battered. As soon as I got up, I knew I could walk, and I knew I’d still race.”
Michael Owen: father of Gemma OwenCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Gemma’s parents, Michael and Louise, were watching the gallop from the stands with trainer Palmer, and feared the worst.
“It’s the type of fall that can maim you for life,” said Michael. “She smashed into the rails and hit the deck. I thought, ‘She’s broken something and is out of the race’.
“She had burns, cuts, bruises, blood coming out of her ear, blood coming out of her mouth. It was whiplash and virtually everything you could have without breaking a bone.”
Gemma was described as “tough as nails” by her father in the aftermath, a statement that proved correct when she was back in the saddle a day later at Chester, six days out from the Magnolia Cup.
She partnered He’s A Gentleman in a racecourse gallop alongside stablemate Turbo Trotter and Royal Ascot-winning rider Franny Norton, who was coaching Owen at the time.
Gemma Owen: finished fourth in last month’s Magnolia CupCredit: Max Mumby (Getty Images)
After a successful spin, she made the start line at Glorious Goodwood, and even opted to change her ride in the race from He’s A Gentleman to Turbo Trotter after the latter had worked better on the Roodee.
Owen finished fourth in the Magnolia Cup after a slow start, and vowed to “do another race so I can get that first place” in her post-race interview, while also not ruling out taking out an amateur licence.
She said: “It kills me to admit it, but Dad said, ‘You’ll do the race, you’ll enjoy the training and you’ll want to become a jockey’. I said I wouldn’t, but the longer time is going on, the more sense I’m seeing in what he said.”
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