Markel Magnolia Cup raises £245,977 in support of Education Above All

The all-female annual charity race was conceived over a decade ago, which takes place at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. It was Annabelle Hadden-Wight and mount Ebury, trained by Scott Dixon and owned by Paul J Dixon & John Fox, who were victorious. Hadden-Wight was joined alongside other riders in the race: Caroline Miller, Eliza McCalmont, Elizabeth Prosser, Katie Dorsett, Khadija Al-Bastaki, Laura Toogood, Lyn Comerford, Milica Dušanović, Olivia Kennedy, Roya Nikkhah and Saffron Oliver.

This year’s total means the race has raised over £2.4 million for charitable causes since its inception. Goodwood in indebted to the sponsor Markel, the horse sponsors’ generosity, the brave, courageous women riding and the racehorse trainers and owners who have supported the race, as well as fashion designer Alice Temperley, who designed the jockey silks.

Education Above All is the beneficiary charity, with all net proceeds going to a project in Malawi that provides education and support for children most at-risk of dropping out of primary education through a joint project between Education Above All and CAMFED. The project aims to empower thousands of girls enabling them to overcome barriers to accessing and remaining in school. At the centre of the project is mentorship and local leadership allowing individuals to benefit from quality primary education inclusive of sexual health education, life skills, and well-being sessions, intensive out-of-school support for those facing
the most pressure to drop out, and psychosocial support.

Simon Wilson, president of Markel International commented, “Markel is a business that prides itself on having a positive impact on the communities in which we operate and the people whose livelihoods we support, and so we’re truly delighted to sponsor the Magnolia Cup and to help raise such a considerable amount of money for Education Above All. As a father of two daughters, the cause of this fantastic charity resonates with me personally, and I hope that the money raised will help to empower a number of girls to overcome barriers to education and to stay in school.”

The Markel Magnolia Cup will take place on Ladies’ Day at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in 2024, which falls on Thursday 1st August. Applications for the race in 2024 have now closed and riders wishing to participate in 2025 can apply online at https://www.goodwood.com/horseracing/qatar-goodwood-festival/magnolia-cup/ .