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Click here<\/a> to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2013 her first spin on a racecourse.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Michael Owen: father of Gemma OwenCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com\/photos)<\/p>\n Gemma’s parents, Michael and Louise, were watching the gallop from the stands with trainer Palmer, and feared the worst.<\/p>\n “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’.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShe 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.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Gemma Owen: finished fourth in last month’s Magnolia CupCredit: Max Mumby (Getty Images)<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n Read these next:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n ‘I got there a mile too soon!’ – Nina Carberry wins Pat Smullen Charity Race as huge breakthrough is made for pancreatic cancer<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘Even with the lack of seasoning, he was able to get the job done with talent’ – unbeaten Wathnan Racing colt lands Travers Stakes on just third start<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.racingpost.com\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fprod-media-racingpost%2Fprod%2Fimages%2F169_1008%2F8eda09db518d-owen.jpg&w=3840&q=75\"\/)
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