Riding a Dream story makes it debut on national TV: The story of the first horse racing British Muslim woman in the UK

BY JAMES TWOMEY
james@slpmedia.co.uk

The story of the first British Muslim woman to ride in a horse race in the UK will be broadcast on national TV this Saturday.

Riding a Dream tells the inspirational story of Khadijah Mellah, 18, from Peckham, who made history and global headlines this summer when she went on to win the race at Goodwood on Haverland, barely four months after she had sat on a race horse for the first time.

Khadijah, who is now studying Mechanical Engineering at Brighton University following her A-levels this summer, said: “Learning to ride, being given the opportunity to ride in a race, winning the race – and having a documentary made all about all of it has just been the most incredible experience from start to finish.

“If I can inspire just one other person to follow their dreams, even if the odds are stacked against them, that would be amazing.”

Charting her journey from the charity Ebony Horse Club in Brixton where she first learnt to ride, to one of the highlights of the global sporting calendar, Glorious Goodwood, the documentary follows Khadijah as she prepares to compete in the Magnolia Cup, an all-woman charity race against the likes of Olympian Victoria Pendleton, model Vogue Williams and professional event rider Sophie van der Merwe.

With just four months to prepare, Khadijah had to juggle studying for her A-levels and fasting for Ramadan with a gruelling training and assessment regime in order to just make it to the start line.

The documentary reveals that Khadijah failed her initial race riding test ahead of her jockey debut, with the film team left on tenterhooks as to whether she would be able to take her starting place in the Magnolia Cup charity race.

But all her determination, discipline and passion paid off when, against all the odds, she won the race, resulting in one of the biggest sporting success stories of 2019 and securing her a spot in British sporting history.

Oli Bell, producer of Riding a Dream and an ITV Racing presenter, said: “I hope that people watching Riding a Dream will see what Khadijah’s achieved and feel inspired.

“It’s a wonderful story because you see someone who never would have expected to ride in a race, let alone win a race and you can see her blossom.

“Hopefully it will show that whoever you are, whatever your background, you can achieve your dreams.

“There is no doubt that what Khadijah achieved was a significant moment, not just in racing but in the wider sporting world.

“I hope it will encourage more people to get involved in the sport and for racing itself to broaden its appeal.”

The Duchess of Cornwall and president of the Ebony Horse Club was among a number of high-profile guests who attended the premiere of the documentary film at The Ritzy Picturehouse in Brixton on Monday.

Riding a Dream will be shown on ITV at 12.15pm this Saturday, November 2.