Zoey Schorsch Becomes The First American Woman To Compete In The Markel Magnolia Cup

Zoey Schorsch with her trainer and horse.

Talia Smith

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.

Zoey Schorsch's love for horse riding stemmed from childhood.

Courtesy of Zoey Schorsch

“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.

CHICHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Frankie Dettori riding Lancelot Du Lac (L, yellow/green) win The Qatar Stewardsâ Cup Handicap Stakes on day five of the Qatar Goodwood Festival at Goodwood racecourse on August 5, 2017 in Chichester, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

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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.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com