18-year-old Khadijah Mellah is the first jockey in the UK to compete while wearing a hijab

In the beginning of August, 18-year-old Khadijah Mellah from Peckham, Britain, became the first jockey in her country to compete while wearing a hijab. She also won the race, which was the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood — a charity event supporting the organization Wellbeing of Women.

Mellah’s story has been picked up by media around the world as she has joined a movement of   athletes in other sports who wear their hijabs while competing, like Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. Mellah recently told the FBomb how she reached this success and where she’s going from here.

The FBomb: At 18, you became the first jockey to ride in a race in Britain wearing a hijab. Can you tell us how and why you started riding in your early teens and how you have accomplished so much in such a relatively short period of time?

Khadijah Mellah: I’d ridden a bit when I was younger, but it was outside of London and expensive to go. Then one day my mum saw a leaflet for Ebony Horse Club, which is in Brixton [in London]. I ended up going on the waiting list for a couple of years before joining the club, but have been riding there ever since I came off the list about seven years ago. 

Then one of the patrons [of the Ebony Horse Club] — Oli Bell, who works for ITV Racing — had the idea of one of the members of the club taking part in the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood racecourse. The team at the club asked me if I would do it. I said yes, but I didn’t really know anything about the race or Goodwood or what it would be like. A film team followed me during the whole journey and created a documentary, Riding a Dream, which will be on ITV later this year. The film follows me in Newmarket, where I learned to ride racehorses. I stayed at the British Racing School there for six weeks before the race. 

People think that riding horses requires you to just sit there, but there is so much work that goes into it. I was riding three times a day and doing fitness work to be able to pass the test to be able to race in the Magnolia Cup. 

What are your thoughts on, and experiences regarding, being a young woman of color in a white male‐dominated sport?

I’ve been made to feel so welcome, but it has been a bit strange being the only person to ride out in a hijab at Newmarket. I’ve been looking out for others, and I have still met people I would never have met before. It’s also fun to talk to people who maybe wouldn’t have met someone like me. The group of women I rode against in the Magnolia Cup are just so incredible and inspirational too — I can’t believe I was in a race with Olympic medalist Victoria Pendleton. I have had so much support and so many people have helped me. I’ve been back up in Newmarket since the race because I love it so much and it was really sad to say goodbye to Charlie Fellowes, the trainer of the horse I rode in the Magnolia Cup, and his whole team. Hopefully I will be back there soon. I have also had a lot of help from people like professional jockey Hayley Turner, who gave me a lot of confidence in my riding. After the race Frankie Dettori, the most famous jockey in the world, came out and gave me a big hug and congratulated me, which was unreal. 

Media coverage of your accomplishment has particularly emphasized the fact that you were a hijab. What are your thoughts on the media holding you up as a symbol of representation?

The media coverage has been crazy! It feels like a massive privilege and I am really glad that I made history. I never set out on this race, and taking up racing in general, to ever make history. That was never on my radar. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I found out that I was going to be the first Muslim girl to race in the U.K., and I thought, Oh, this is quite important. I understand why the media have emphasized the hijab, but hopefully in the future this will just be normal. 

What are your current plans for your career?

I get my A Level results soon, and hopefully I am going to university to study mechanical engineering. I was thinking about maybe getting my amateur jockey’s license, but whatever happens, I definitely want to keep on riding and keep on riding in charity races.

What advice do you have for young women who want to try a new sport or hobby?

I think just go out there and do it. I have had so many messages from people saying they were scared to get into riding or gave up or whatever but who are going to give it another go. I have always wanted to be a role model, and if one person follows their dream because of me that would make me so happy. 

Riding a Dream, which follows Khadijah’s journey from Peckham to her historic victory in the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood Racecourse, will air on ITV in the autumn.