Ebony Horse Club
Dec 2020
Khadijah Mellah is ‘the first jockey in the UK to wear a hijab’ - this is a popular description of this smart and driven young woman but really just focuses on one irrelevant thing.
Khadijah, from Peckham, found to her disbelief, that there was a riding school in Brixton (a neighbouring area of south London)! But this was no ordinary riding school, it was Ebony Horse Club, who’s mission is to use horses to raise the education, life skills, wellbeing and aspirations of young people from disadvantaged communities. Khadijah had a passion for riding and progressed quickly - supported, developed and encouraged by the club. Last year after training in Newmarket, she won the Magnolia Cup, a high profile horse race at Goodwood.
Ebony Horse Club is one of the projects supported by the Sports education charity SportEd which is one of The Times Christmas charity appeals, see the story here.
I got sent to take a portrait of Khadijah but also to document the work of the club with young local school kids. The staff at the club, were great at encouraging the kids and were certainly trying to make riding less of a rural, elitist pastime and more into something accessible to kids from disadvantaged communities.
Khadijah, who is now at Brighton university, studying for a degree in mechanical engineering, was so charming and appreciative of the opportunity that the club had given her. But when I asked if she is plans to continue horse racing she said ‘maybe… but I’m really into boxing now’. I’m sure she will soon have the moniker ‘the first Jockey and Boxer in the UK to wear a Hijab’ - The media does like boxes, but I doubt she will want to stay in one.
