GB: Nine students from the Riding A Dream Academy, which was set up after Khadijah Mellah became the first British Muslim woman to win a UK horse race, have become the first to graduate from its prestigious Scholarship programme.
The Khadijah Mellah Scholarship is the academy’s year-long flagship programme, which was established to help other young people aged 14-18 from diverse and under-represented communities get into racing and to increase diversity and inclusion in the sport. It is kindly funded by the Racing Foundation, with additional support from the Jockey Club and Champion Equestrian.
Over the course of the year, the students, all aged 14-18 and who have come from across the UK, have learnt to ride racehorses under the expert tuition of the instructors at the British Racing School (BRS) in Newmarket where the academy and its programmes are run.
The course began with a residential week at the BRS in August 2021 and the students have returned for one weekend each month since then to continue their tuition.
Khadijah Mellah, in whose name the scholarship is run, was the inspiration behind the Riding A Dream Academy. “I am so incredibly proud and humbled by everything that the students have achieved this year,” she said.
“To see them arrive in August last year having only ever sat on riding school ponies, to now be riding racehorses on the gallops here is just mind-blowing. As a group and individually I am so impressed by the talent, hard work and commitment they have put in and I can’t wait to see where their careers in racing take them next.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of the Racing Foundation and the incredible instructors at the British Racing School – I am so grateful to everyone who has made the academy possible.”
Sienna, 15 from London, is one of the students to have graduated on Saturday. “Being part of the Riding A Dream Academy has meant so much to me,” she said. “It has been a lifelong dream to be a jockey and the academy has made that dream a reality. The academy has changed my life and I am so grateful to have had so many people there and at the British Racing School who have believed in me and made this all possible.”
The Riding A Dream Academy acts as a pathway into horse racing with one of its students, O’Shane, 17 from Ebony Horse Club in London already working in the sport at a racing yard in Newmarket.
A third student, Aamilah, 16, from Gloucester is set to join the sport’s foundation course which is the next step for young people looking to start their careers in the sport and progress onto becoming a jockey.
“I am so lucky to be one of the first group of the Riding A Dream Academy,” she said. “It's been such an honour and an incredible experience. It has helped me so much with my riding journey and I am now one step closer to becoming a jump jockey and my dream of winning the Grand National!”
The Riding A Dream Academy aims to increase diversity and inclusion in British horse racing. It was set up by Naomi Lawson and ITV Racing’s Oli Bell as a legacy to the achievements of Khadijah Mellah who became the first British Muslim woman to win a horse race in the UK when landing the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood in 2019 and aims to increase
To date, 60% of the Academy’s applicants have been from a diverse ethnic background, with 73% of students in the pilot year coming from a diverse ethnic background. This compares to just 2% of jockeys from a diverse ethnic background and between 3-5% of individuals who currently go on the industry’s entry-level foundation course.
It currently runs two programmes – The Khadijah Mellah Scholarship and a residential week which acts as an introduction to the sport. Later in 2022 it will expand its programmes, thanks to the Racing Foundation, to include a residential week for non-riders and regional community weeks.
• Visit the Riding A Dream Academy website
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