Zoey Schorsch Makes History as First American Woman to Compete in the Markel Magnolia Cup

Talia Smith

Zoey Schorsch has spent her career moving between two worlds defined by speed, one measured in engines, the other in stride. This summer, the Audrain Group executive will bridge those two worlds on a global stage, becoming the first American woman to compete in the Markel Magnolia Cup, one of the United Kingdom’s most high-profile all-female amateur charity horse races.

Held annually during the Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar at Goodwood Racecourse, the event takes place on a historic English estate known for both elite flat racing and world-renowned motorsport culture. The race brings together 12 accomplished amateur women from across business, sport, media, and fashion to compete in a professionally trained flat race while raising funds for charitable initiatives. Each rider undergoes months of intensive preparation, balancing full-time careers with the physical demands of training.

In its 15th year, the race welcomes the 26-year-old Schorsch to the lineup, marking the first time an American woman has competed. The Markel Magnolia Cup first captured global attention in 2019, when Khadijah Mellah delivered a breakthrough victory up Goodwood’s home straight just months after first learning to ride and at just 18 years old. Since then, the race has become known for both its competitive intensity and diverse starting gate. Participants have included doctors, Olympians, CEOs, journalists, students, models, and television presenters, among them Edie Campbell, Sara Cox, Rosie Tapner, and Vogue Williams. Beyond the race itself, the Markel Magnolia Cup has evolved into a significant philanthropic platform.
Fundraising is driven through horse and race sponsorships, as well as the annual Regency Ball, an immersive evening held at Goodwood House that supports the event’s charitable partner, Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global foundation for education and development, established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, dedicated to expanding access to quality education for children and youth, while advancing economic opportunities that enable young people to reach their full potential.

Set on the Sussex estate of the Duke of Richmond, Goodwood is one of the world’s few venues for both elite equestrian sport and historic motorsport. It hosts the Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar each summer alongside landmark automotive events such as the Goodwood Members’ Meeting,
making it a crossroads of heritage, performance, and spectacle. That intersection is familiar terrain for Schorsch, who serves as a Business Development and Sponsorship Specialist for Audrain Group, one of America’s leading automotive museums and motorsport organizations.

Instead of horsepower measured in RPMs, Schorsch will now train and compete with horsepower measured in strides per second. Over the past year, she has been training to prepare for the demands required to qualify for the Markel Magnolia Cup, including strengthening her body and learning to race her horse at full speed in a competitive field—mastering the strategy, stamina, and split-second decision-making that define the sport.

Schorsch’s journey began on a farm in Pennsylvania as the youngest of five siblings. Horses were a constant presence across generations; her great-grandfather raced thoroughbreds, and her family maintains a working farm in rooted in equestrian life. That early exposure shaped discipline and instinct. Horses, she says, taught her partnership, how power is managed rather than controlled, and how trust becomes performance. That same principle extended into another formative influence: cars. Introduced to automotive culture by her father, Schorsch grew up immersed in mechanical history and performance. She eventually moved from passenger to driver, experiencing everything from early 20th-century automobiles to modern supercars, along the way learning along the way that speed is not just power, but precision, restraint, and communication.

“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to represent the United States and my company in the Markel Magnolia Cup,” said Schorsch. “I never expected that I would train as a jockey, but I’ve been inspired by the women, past and present, who compete in this race. I’m honored to be part of it, and I hope my story encourages others to step forward with confidence and embrace unexpected opportunities that can change the course of their lives.”

Schorsch, who is an openly gay woman, is an advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in traditionally exclusive industries. She speaks frequently about visibility and access, while also championing animal welfare in equestrian sport and the ethical treatment of horses beyond competition. For Schorsch, the Markel Magnolia Cup brings together these different parts of her life. As the first American woman to compete, she is stepping into a new arena while extending a path that connects her
experiences across sport, culture, and advocacy.

She is not only representing herself, but also a different kind of American muscle, one built on respect, partnership, and the understanding that true power is something you work with, not against. For Schorsch, it will mark the moment her two worlds finally converge on the same track.