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Member Spotlight: Caroline Miller

02nd August 2024

Health & Wellbeing member Caroline Miller shares her extraordinary story of riding in the Magnolia Club at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, not just once but twice—first in 2021 and again in 2023. Caroline’s story has been one of real commitment and passion to do what she loves. A journey which she describes as a fairytale in which dreams do come true.

Caroline MIller_2.jpg

Born in East Sussex into a farming family, none of whom had any interest in equine pursuits. Caroline’s first experience of riding was on a donkey at Bexhill, from this moment a passion began to ignite. Any opportunity to speak with Caroline about her relationship with horses she will insist she is ‘Not a jockey, just a rider.’

 After moving to Midhurst at seven years old after a family crisis, she quickly found a riding school where she worked for all her rides and became totally dedicated to the sport. At twelve years old she was riding polo ponies around Cowdray, and later on pursuing a career with the languages in London she exercised poly ponies in Richmond Park before starting her day of work.

By chance in her thirties, she met a family who trained point-to-pointers and in 1986 she won a race on a horse she had nursed back to health after a leg injury. This was a dream for her and a miracle. She later met Toby Balding and started riding out for him. Years later at almost sixty years old, Toby gave her an eight-year-old ex race horse to re-home.

The Magnolia Cup is an amateur ladies-only race during the Qatar Goodwood Festival in aid of women’s charities. Previous lineups have included women from across the world of business enterprise, fashion, marketing, retail and celebrity. As soon as Caroline learnt about this prestigious race she knew she needed to be involved. The determination to push herself carrying through from her early donkey riding days, led to her having her name for selection in 2021. She was fortunate enough to be selected to ride and then came the fitness test requirements.

It was at this time that Caroline joined as a Goodwood Health & Wellbeing member, driven to get herself into shape ready to pass the jockey test including a four-minute plank and four-minute leg raises. Discovering the array of classes and the community that comes with being a member she was delighted to throw herself into her membership. 

Regularly exchanging four legs for two wheels by attending spin classes and spending time outside in a cardio tennis class. Caroline now enjoys everything that comes with her membership.

Caroline didn’t win the Magnolia Cup in 2021 but she was asked to jump back into the saddle for 2023. She was very thankful she had kept her fitness levels up and passed the qualifying fitness test with ease.

At the time of writing Caroline is top of the reserve list if someone drops out of the 2024 line up, but we are sure if she does race she will do well in representing senior riding enthusiasts. We will certainly be cheering her on.

Caroline continues to ride out racehorses regularly and at an exceptionally high level. In her spare time, she devotes herself to helping re-home race horses but always holds a special love for donkeys, harbouring a real infatuation with them ever since those first days on Bexhill Beach.

Caroline is pictured below on the left of the image, taken outside of The Kennels for the Magnolia Cup for Qatar Goodwood Festival in 2021.

Stephanie O'Callaghan- Qatar Goodwood Festival