We Are England S2022E39 - Sporting Heroes - Make Me a Jockey

Khadijah Mellah was just 18 years old when she became the first British Muslim woman in the UK to win a competitive horse race, at Goodwood in 2019. Growing up in London, Khadijah had always wanted to ride horses, but didn't find an inner-city riding school until she was a teenager. Now she is determined that other young aspiring jockeys from diverse backgrounds take the reins and get access to opportunities she never had.

She helps launch week one of a year-long scholarship named after Khadijah at the Riding A Dream academy, at the prestigious British Racing School in Newmarket. We meet Grace and Eesa from Leicester - two of the talented young riders selected for the programme - who currently train at a social enterprise urban riding school. It's an exciting and intense first week, with the young riders handling racehorses for the first time. Like many of the students, 14-year-old Eesa has never lived away from home. It's daunting, but being a jockey is his dream and his sights are firmly set on becoming the next Frankie Dettori.