Gemma Owen trained for her racing debut on Sir Alex Ferguson’s horse – and risked being the first Owen to get a telling-off from the boss.Dressage competitor Owen, the daughter of Premier League legend Michael Owen, recently rode in the Magnolia Cup charity race at Goodwood in Surrey on Turbo Trotter – from her dad’s Manor House Stables in Cheshire.Gemma has been around horses all her life but is typically a dressage riderGettyFerguson helped Owen prepare for racing debutBut she prepared for the radical shift to jockeying by saddling a horse owned by legendary Manchester United manager Ferguson, as detailed in Meet the Owens, the upcoming six-part Prime Video documentary series.Michael played under fellow horseracing enthusiast Ferguson for Man United, so he will have been well-acquainted with the 13-time Premier League-winning Glaswegian’s ‘hairdryer treatment’. What started as a dressing room bust-up between Fergie and David Beckham has since become common football terminology to describe a serious dressing-down from the manager.And after arranging for Gemma to ride Ferguson’s horse, the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner joked: “She could be the only Owen that’s had the hairdryer treatment off Sir Alex. I never got it.“He never b******** me, really, but if you ride it badly, you could get the hairdryer.”‘You’re going way too fast’In the end, Michael ended up dishing out his own (considerably toned down) version of the hairdryer treatment after Gemma broke into a gallop at what should have been a cantering session.“Woah, woah, woah, that’s way too fast,” he observed.“Shall I be the one to b****** her?” he said, turning to his wife Louise Bonsall, who was reluctant to tell her daughter off.“You got three points on your licence. Twelve and you’re out – speeding,” a stern Michael cautioned Gemma, who was unsure what she’d done wrong.“Your first day and you wanted to gallop – you’re months and months and months off it.”Gemma’s parents Michael and Louise were there to support her on her racing debutGettyGemma, who starred on the 2022 series of Love Island, went on to finish fourth in the Magnolia Cup.A proud fatherAnd her dad was delighted to see her take her first steps in racing.“In basic terms, dad wanted me to become a jockey,” Gemma laughed. “Because dad’s dream is one of his kids being a jockey.Michael certainly seems much more invested in racing – understandable given he co-owns Manor House Stables, home to over 100 thoroughbred racehorses.“Having horses was such a big part of my childhood,” Gemma continued. Dad’s really supportive with the dressage, but he doesn’t know too much about it – so I definitely think it will bring me and my dad closer, doing the Magnolia Cup.”It was a sentiment shared by her dad, who explained: “Gemma taking part in the race has really given me a new lease of life for feeling that we’re all in this as a family together now. And that’s a brilliant thing.”Gemma placed fourth in her first race as a jockeyGettyAnd Michael reckons the Magnolia Cup might only be the beginning of Gemma’s racing career.“I have a suspicion this won’t be her last ride in public as she has thoroughly enjoyed the process,” he said after the event.“They have lady amateur races, so Hugo [Palmer, the lead trainer at Manor House Stables] was already talking to her a week or two ago about perhaps riding the horse.“I’d say she’s as competitive as me, so she won’t be happy she’s been beaten.“She was left miles [behind] at the start, but I hope she still enjoyed the experience.”All six episodes of Meet the Owens will be available to stream on Prime Video from 28 August.