Khadijah Mellah: From Brixton Riding Club to a Historic Goodwood Win
Introduction
Khadijah Mellah is a British amateur jockey who became widely known after an extraordinary win at Goodwood Racecourse in 2019. She became the first jockey to race in Britain while wearing a hijab and then won the Magnolia Cup on Haverland.
She was only 18.
That race changed things fast.
Mellah had come from Ebony Horse Club in Brixton rather than through a traditional racing family or established racing yard. Years later, she completed a mechanical engineering degree and returned to Goodwood for her first official ride as an amateur jockey.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Khadijah Mellah |
| Profession | Amateur jockey |
| From | Peckham, South London |
| Known for | Historic 2019 Magnolia Cup victory |
| Racing landmark | First jockey to race in Britain wearing a hijab |
| Riding club | Ebony Horse Club, Brixton |
| Winning horse in 2019 | Haverland |
| University | University of Brighton |
| Degree | BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering |
| 2025 amateur debut horse | Uncle Dick |
| Public role | Youth Patron at Ebony Horse Club |
| Associated programme | Riding A Dream Academy |
Who Is Khadijah Mellah?
Khadijah Mellah is a rider from Peckham in South London.
Her name reached national headlines in August 2019.
The reason was simple. She did something British racing had not seen before.
Mellah entered the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood wearing a hijab. She was 18 and much less experienced than several of the riders around her.
Then she won.
Riding Haverland, Mellah beat a 12-rider field that included former Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton. Great British Racing recorded her as the first female British Muslim jockey in the UK to win a race.
It was a remarkable start.
But her story had begun years earlier.
Growing Up in South London
Mellah grew up in Peckham.
Horse racing was not an obvious career route.
Her introduction to riding came through Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, a charity that gives young people access to horses and riding opportunities in inner-city London.
Her mother had spotted information about the club, and Mellah eventually became a regular rider there.
Basically, this was her base.
She learned around horses there. She built confidence. She kept riding.
Ebony Horse Club later became closely linked with her Goodwood story and now lists Mellah as one of its Youth Patrons.
That connection remains part of her public work.
From Riding Horses to Racehorses
There is a big difference between ordinary horse riding and racing.
Mellah had to learn quickly.
Before the Magnolia Cup, she trained at the British Racing School in Newmarket. Her preparation included intensive race-riding work and time with trainer Charlie Fellowes’ stable.
She had very little racehorse experience.
The Guardian reported that Mellah had first sat on a racehorse in April 2019. Her Magnolia Cup appearance came only a few months later.
That made the task tough.
She still had to pass the required riding assessment. Mellah later spoke publicly about struggling during the preparation before improving enough to qualify for the race.
She kept working.
Then Goodwood arrived.
Khadijah Mellah and the 2019 Magnolia Cup Win
On 1 August 2019, Mellah lined up in the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood.
The race was an all-female charity event.
She rode Haverland.
Mellah became the first jockey to compete in a British race while wearing a hijab. A little over a minute later, she had another reason to celebrate.
Haverland won.
The pair came through a tight finish to take the race, giving Mellah an unexpected victory in her first competitive appearance of this kind.
Great British Racing reported that she beat 11 other riders. The field included Victoria Pendleton and Vogue Williams.
Honestly, the timing made the story even more striking.
Months earlier, Mellah had barely known race riding.
Now she was standing in the Goodwood winner’s enclosure.
Why Her Goodwood Victory Drew Attention
The win went far beyond a race result.
British horse racing has long had barriers to entry for people without family links, access to horses, racing yards or specialist training.
Mellah had entered from a very different route.
She was a South London student.
She learned at an urban riding charity.
She wore a hijab.
And she won.
Her achievement received widespread media attention, while her preparation and Goodwood appearance became the subject of the television documentary Riding A Dream.
Mellah later worked as an ambassador for diversity in racing. Great British Racing listed her as an ambassador and described increasing diversity within the sport as one of her career aims.
Education and Mechanical Engineering
Racing did not replace education for Mellah.
She followed both paths.
During her original Goodwood preparation, she was studying for her A-levels.
She later studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Brighton.
By August 2025, the university confirmed that Mellah had completed her Mechanical Engineering BEng (Hons) degree.
That part of her story is easy to miss.
She kept riding while studying.
The University of Brighton reported that she rode out before lectures and spent time working in racing yards while completing her degree.
So racing stayed in the picture.
Return to Competitive Racing
Mellah wanted another chance to race.
This time, the goal was different.
She worked toward becoming an amateur jockey.
Goodwood reported that Mellah spent around a year preparing for her first amateur ride and was riding out for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton.
Then came another Goodwood date.
On 22 August 2025, Mellah rode Uncle Dick in the Gay Kindersley Memorial Amateur Riders Handicap.
She finished sixth.
The result mattered less than the return itself.
Six years after her Magnolia Cup victory, Mellah was back at the racecourse where her name had first reached a much wider audience.
This time she was competing as an amateur jockey.
As of October 2026, this remains the latest amateur-racing milestone I could confirm through strong public sources.
Riding A Dream Academy
Mellah’s racing story also helped inspire a programme for younger riders.
The Riding A Dream Academy was established in 2021 after her Magnolia Cup victory. It works with young people from diverse communities, disadvantaged backgrounds and urban equestrian centres who want access to British horse racing.
Mellah has been publicly identified as a co-founder of the Academy.
One programme even carries her name.
The Khadijah Mellah Scholarship is a year-long scheme for aspiring riders aged 14 to 16. It includes a residential course at the British Racing School followed by monthly sessions.
The 2026–27 programme is scheduled to begin with a residential course at the British Racing School in October 2026, followed by sessions running through August 2027.
The Academy now operates as part of the British Racing School.
Her Link With Ebony Horse Club
Ebony Horse Club remains a key part of Mellah’s public story.
It gave her access to riding in Brixton.
Years later, she came back in a different role.
The organisation lists Mellah as a Youth Patron and notes her years as a rider at the club, her Magnolia Cup appearance and her work around diversity in racing.
That makes the relationship more than a childhood footnote.
It is still active.
What Makes Khadijah Mellah’s Story Different?
There was no standard route here.
Mellah did not grow up inside professional racing.
She entered through a community riding club.
She had to learn race riding quickly.
She was still studying.
Then she won one of Britain’s best-known charity races while making history with her hijab.
After the headlines faded, she kept working with horses, completed an engineering degree and returned to competitive riding.
That second part matters.
The 2019 result was not her only link with racing.
Her 2025 amateur debut proved she was still pursuing the sport years later.
Is Khadijah Mellah Still a Jockey?
Mellah made her official amateur-jockey debut in August 2025 at Goodwood.
She rode Uncle Dick and finished sixth. Goodwood reported after the race that she hoped the appearance would be the first of many future rides.
No strong source I checked confirms a retirement announcement.
For accuracy, she can be described as a British amateur jockey based on her verified 2025 racing status.
Final Thought
Khadijah Mellah’s rise in racing happened fast.
Her first big result came at 18.
She arrived at Goodwood with limited racehorse experience, rode Haverland in the Magnolia Cup and came home first.
But the story kept moving.
Mellah studied mechanical engineering, stayed close to racing, worked with projects opening the sport to younger riders, and returned to Goodwood as an amateur jockey in 2025.
Basically, one unexpected race became something much bigger.
Her name now sits beside a racing scholarship, an Academy programme and a historic Goodwood result that remains the moment most closely linked with her career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Khadijah Mellah?
Khadijah Mellah is a British amateur jockey from Peckham, South London. She became widely known after winning the 2019 Magnolia Cup at Goodwood.
Why is Khadijah Mellah famous?
She became the first jockey to race in Britain wearing a hijab and won the Magnolia Cup during the same appearance.
Which horse did Khadijah Mellah ride at Goodwood in 2019?
She rode Haverland to victory in the Magnolia Cup.
Where did Khadijah Mellah learn to ride?
She learned to ride at Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, London.
What did Khadijah Mellah study?
She completed a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Brighton.
Did Khadijah Mellah become an amateur jockey?
Yes. She made her amateur-jockey debut at Goodwood on 22 August 2025, riding Uncle Dick.
What is the Khadijah Mellah Scholarship?
It is a year-long Riding A Dream Academy programme for aspiring young riders aged 14–16 from communities that have had less access to British racing.
Is Khadijah Mellah linked with Ebony Horse Club today?
Yes. Ebony Horse Club currently lists her as a Youth Patron.
