#Breaking down barriers: Khadijah Mellah delighted to be role model ahead of Goodwood ride"

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Breaking down barriers: Khadijah Mellah delighted to be role model ahead of Goodwood ride

Whether dealing with a racehorse galloping at speed with her, or her position as flag bearer for British Muslims accepts women, Khadijah Mellah takes it all on her in

& I love to surprise people & she says with an insured smile.

And surprise people this 18-year-old from Peckham the most she will certainly play in less than two weeks from the weigh room at Glorious Goodwood waltz to participate in the Magnolia Cup, a ladies-only charity race in addition to that of Victoria Pendleton

[19459158] Teenage Muslim Khadijah Mellah will race in the Magnolia Cup, a ladies-only charity race will race in the Magnolia Cup, a ladies-only charity race "

Teenage Muslim Khadijah Mellah will race in the Magnolia Cup, a ladies-only charity race

] Although there is no official data, it is believed that Khadijah may be the first person to ever have been in a hijab in Britain.

City School and a & # 39; horse-mad girl & # 39; with great ambitions , which are not far away different. But how does she feel about a groundbreaking track for British Muslim women?

& # 39; Of course, getting up at half past five & # 39; morning and sometimes sitting on a difficult horse is tough, but what motivates me is that at some point I might be a role model & # 39 ;, she says Sportsmail

& # 39; When I am on Instagram and I look at people who are reasonably successful, I think: & wow, they have done that a lot, they are so much older. I just want someone someday to look up and think: & # 39; You know what, I can do that. & # 39;

I love it. I like to surprise people. When I bump into people and say, "What are you doing right now?" and I say, "I train to be a jockey," they say & # 39; What? & # 39;

& # 39; The first time I rode on the heath (the gallop in Newmarket), I was released

& # 39; I feel as long as I look, I know what i am doing, then it speaks for itself. Everyone can do it. & # 39;

<img id = "i-d6685dfd9df04707" src = "https://i.dailymail.co. uk / 1s / 2019/07/19/19 / 16262992-7266107-image-a-27_1563562627172.jpg "height =" 401 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mellah will compete against celebrity riders including Victoria champion Victoria Pendleton

<img id = "i-d6685dfd9df04707" src = "https://ift.tt/30G4f7C a-27_1563562627172.jpg "height =" 401 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mellah will compete against celebrity riders including Olympic champion Victoria Pendleton

But she may not have done it without the Ebony Horse Club of Brixton.

Khadijah, who has just completed her A-levels, grew up in the heart of Peckham, in a built-up area

Her father, a handyman, had only once had a horse while her mother had never driven home. people in her neighborhood would not know what a jockey was if she tried to tell what she was doing.

Yet a windfall came when her family moved to Sidcup for a moment and she discovered a stable that was only a short walk away.

Mellah will ride a four-year-old Haverland during the charity race on a four-year-old called Haverland during the charity race "

Mellah will ride on a four-year-old Haverland during the charity race

That introduction to driving had a lasting impact, but when returning to Peckham the idea of ​​keeping up with it seemed seemingly impossible.

The Duchess Cornish has been the club's president since April 2009, and that is his popularity when Khadijah signed up at the age of nine, it took two years to get rid of the waiting list, but she has since become a competent rider and convinced in February Ebony & # 39; s manager David Fleming her to participate in the Magnolia Cup.

The task ahead of us quickly became clear, an important step was the switch and from quiet riding school ponies to volatile thoroughbreds, and her first time driving gave her a good idea of ​​how difficult that would be.

& # 39; It didn't go so well, to be honest, & she says. I went too fast and caught up with a few people. I didn't know race horses were that fast. It really should have occurred to me. "

<img id =" i-13006bea607495ef "src =" https://ift.tt/2y0G5Iw a-7_1563573424318.jpg "height =" 420 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mellah had to wait two years before she became a member of Ebony Horse Club.

Mellah had to wait two years before becoming a member of Ebony Horse Club Ebony Horse Club

Trying to control half a ton of racehorse has different needed muscles for the Ebony mobs, and now she jokes: & I don't think I even had thigh muscles before! & # 39;

But perhaps it was more diligent than her driving style to change was the fitness test of the British Racing School, which she had to train for while reviewing exams and observing Ramadan. ] How did she find the bleep test, the squat tests, riding a static horse, the push handles and the boards? & # 39; It was brutal! & # 39; she answers quickly.

In the run-up to the big day, Khadijah rode every morning with trainer Charlie Fellowes and developed a good relationship with her horse for the race – a four-Haverland, which she describes as a & # 39; quiet guy & # 39 ;.

Her technique has received much praise from Royal Ascot-winning jockey Hayley Turner, who told her: & # 39; You look nicer than I & # 39; when they trained on mechanical horses together.

<img id = "i-4022f9b741f66856" src = "https://ift.tt/2Y6ClkB 2019/07/19/20 / 16262868-7266107-image-a-37_1563565986397.jpg "height =" 672 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mellah first discovered horse riding when she lived in Sidcup near the stable

Little Will []

prepared Khadijah for Goodwood when she and 11 other amateurs will be presented to the 25,000 strong Ladies & Day audience, including Olympic cyclist champion, Cheltenham Festival jockey Pendleton.

Millions more highlights of the race will be shown on ITV, while her story is also turned into a documentary – Riding A Dream – later will be shown this year.

The documentary is a co-production of ITV race presenter Oli Bell, who admits he says t much about British society, not just racing, that's her too

& # 39; She's a titan, & # 39; he says.

& # 39; At this time it is not only important for the eyes of the racing world to

& # 39; I absolutely want to see you, but the eyes of the world. & # 39; 39; come in the top three & # 39 ;, she says. & # 39; If I won, it would be monumental & # 39;

<img id = "i-86bbe8c91a900cf2" src = "https://ift.tt/2xUQmpP -8_1563573432564.jpg "height =" 483 "width =" 634 "alt =" For Mellah, a win in the Magnolia Cup race would be a & # 39; monumental & # 39; achievement "class =" blkBorder

For Mellah, a victory in the Magnolia Cup race would be a & # 39; monumental & # 39; monumental achievement

So, a life like a jockey beckons?

& # 39; But I want to go to college and hopefully get a diploma, then follow an engineering career. back to ride again. We shall see. "

With that she goes on saddles and a moment later she whistles past the camera crews and makes a quick walk through the gallopade.

But above all, this young woman is on her way to win a race.

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