Khadijah Mellah: First hijab wearing jockey makes history at Goodwood
The 18-year-old Khadijah is the first person in the UK to participate in a competitive horse race while wearing a hijab.
Mellah was also the first rider to race in a Hijab in Britain to win Charlie Fellowes-trained Haverland with a perfectly-timed run to in the ladies-only charity race.
Talking to one of the national news channel of UK, Khadijah said,
“When I passed the post I couldn’t believe it, and then I saw all my family and friends and started crying. I am quite competitive, so I wanted to win this race, but I never expected to, Horses bring me immeasurable amounts of happiness. I’ve always loved them and always will and I hope to carry on and keep riding.”
According to the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation, the number of female British Muslim jockeys is in “single digits.”
Mellah is still unclear about her future. She plans to go to university but riding horses and participating in the races is her ultimate dream.
