Charlotte Emery, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Entain Plc, is trading in the boardroom for the racecourse this week as she takes on the biggest ride of her life at the prestigious Markel Magnolia Cup during Glorious Goodwood on Thursday 31 July.
The courageous challenge is far from the typical CMO playbook, as Emery has spent months training to become a jockey, to raise money for The King’s Trust International’s Project Lehar. Emery states that the project is close to her heart to help empower young women in India with vocational, entrepreneurship and life skills training.
Entain underlines the seriousness of Emery’s challenge at Goodwood. Last November, Emery suffered a fractured pelvis in two places after falling from a horse. “Falling off a horse and fracturing my pelvis was not the preparation I was looking for… It was the most incredibly painful thing that I’ve ever done,” she said. But giving up was never on the table: “I did not at any point believe that I wouldn’t ride again, not ever.”
After months of dedicated rehabilitation, Charlotte passed the rigorous jockey fitness tests at the British Racing School in Newmarket, the same tests faced by professionals, to earn her spot on the 12-woman Magnolia Cup racecard.
Behind her efforts are Entain’s powerhouse brands, Coral and Ladbrokes, which are backing the cause with significant financial muscle. The bookmaker will donate profits from the Coral-sponsored Kincsem Handicap – the opening race on Thursday – to Project Lehar. They’ve also pledged a minimum donation of £50,000, and any profits from Magnolia Cup betting will go to the same cause.
Coral and Ladbrokes have also launched a multi-part digital series titled “Along for the Ride”, chronicling Emery’s journey from novice to race-ready. The series is already live across Twitter (X), Instagram, and the Coral Racing Club YouTube channel.
Speaking about her transformation from marketer to jockey, Emery said: “The racing community has been so welcoming and full of advice. I’ve been able to learn from many of the best trainers in the UK. My advice for anyone who yearns to do something new and challenging like this is to push past your fear and embrace a positive mindset. You’re never too old to learn something new.”
Preparing for her biggest ever professional challenge Emery has trained alongside top racing names Jonjo O’Neill, Joe Tizzard, Alice Haynes, and Chris Grassick, and even received insider tips from Coral’s racing ambassador and TV presenter Chris Hughes, a fellow charity race rider.
For Emery, it’s all eyes on Thursday: “Anything can happen between now and then, but I’m not going to think about that. My job now is to be as race fit and race ready as I can be… I’m in it to win it.”
Joanna Parsons, Director of Delivery and Impact at King’s Trust International, said the partnership with Entain is a perfect fit: “King’s Trust International works across the globe, supporting young women to be able to achieve their potential, so it feels like the right place to be between both King’s Trust International and the Magnolia Cup this year.”
Entain is calling on the racing and betting community to show their support by donating through Charlotte’s JustGiving page, helping young women in India stride toward a brighter future – one furlong at a time.
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