riding a dream - itv · riding a dream follows the remarkable story of khadijah mellah, 18, from...
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Riding A DreamA Documentary Film
Press Pack
Strictly embargoed until Tuesday 29th October 2019
If you use any material from this press pack, please include a
full credit for the documentary, Riding a Dream.
Riding a Dream follows the remarkable story of Khadijah Mellah, 18, from Peckham, South
London who made history and global headlines this summer by becoming the first British
Muslim woman to win at one of British horse racing’s most prestigious festivals, Glorious
Goodwood, barely four months after she had sat on a racehorse for the first time.
Charting her journey from the charity Ebony Horse Club in Brixton where she first learnt to ride,
to one of the highlights of the global sporting calendar, the documentary follows Khadijah as she
prepares to compete in the Magnolia Cup, an all-female charity race against the likes of Olympian
Victoria Pendleton, model Vogue Williams and professional event rider Sophie van der Merwe.
With just four months to prepare for the race of her life, Khadijah had to juggle studying for her
A-Levels and fasting for Ramadan with a gruelling training and assessment regime in order to just
make it to the start line. However, all her determination, discipline and passion paid off when,
against all the odds, she won the race on a horse called Haverland, resulting in one of the biggest
sporting success stories of 2019 and securing her spot in British sporting history.
Growing up in Peckham with no real connection to horses before she started riding at Ebony
Horse Club, Khadijah’s fairytale story broke down barriers and stereotypes and proved that there
are no limits to what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. Hers is a story that not only
impressed a nation but also inspired the world.
“A big part of my life has been proving people wrong. I
am thrilled that I am part of a shift in social understand-
ing of what women can achieve and what they can be
good at. There’s quite a stereotype around Muslim girls
and them ‘not being able to follow their sporting dreams’.
I want to be a role model to anyone who wants to do
something that they wouldn’t initially believe was in their
comfort zone and allow people to follow their aspirations
and dreams.”
OverviewRiding a Dream – A documentary film
Khadijah Mellah
Q & Akhadijah mellah
Khadijah Mellah grew up in Peckham and first learned to ride at the charity Ebony Horse Club in
Brixton where her younger brother and sister also ride. Following her A-Levels this summer, she
is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Brighton University. In August, she became the
first British Muslim woman to ride in a horserace in the UK when winning the Magnolia Cup at
Goodwood racecourse.
How did you come to ride in the Magnolia Cup?
I’ve been riding at Ebony Horse Cub for about six years and the team there just asked me if I
would be up for it. I didn’t know anything about the Magnolia Cup, I’d never been racing or ridden
a racehorse but it sounded interesting and like something that I wanted to have a go at. Actually it
was my brother Abdus who was a lot more into racing and knew a lot more about it than me.
What did the training involve?
It was pretty brutal. I was training whilst also studying for my A-Levels and it was Ramadan so I
was fasting as well so it was really tough at times. Up to my A-Levels I was mainly doing gym work
and core work but after my exams I went and lived at the British Racing School in Newmarket for
about 6 weeks so that I could improve my riding. I basically spent my whole time riding, training,
sleeping and repeating that again each day – it was intense!
What was it like riding a racehorse?
I’ve got to be honest, the first time I got on a racehorse it was a mess! They are so different to the
horses at Ebony Horse Club. I had a canter and I thought I was going full race speed. My
jockey coach Nick Bentley had to tell me that it was nothing like race pace. It was a bit of a shock
because I realised how much work I still had to do to even pass the assessment, let alone race.
Then I started riding at Charlie Fellowes’ yard and met Haverland, the horse I rode in the race.
He is such a cool guy and we really got on so after that I got a bit more confidence.
What do you remember of the day and the
race itself?
It was all pretty nerve-wracking and before the race there were so many photographers – it was
terrifying. But I started to feel better when I got on Haverland and once I got to the start it was
just the two of us and so quiet. They really ram home to you the importance of the start so I was
just focused on that. I remembered Charlie Fellowes [Trainer] telling me where I needed to be at
the two furlong pole so I eased Haverland out and he just went. I was screaming as we crossed
the line and I then couldn’t stop crying. I thought I might come fourth or fifth but to win was just
unbelievable.
Now that you have had time to reflect,
what do you think of the day?
I am really proud of what I achieved and I am glad that all my hard work paid off and that I was
able to repay all the support I had from so many different people. I have always been super
determined and I am really proud of the fact that I became the first British Muslim woman to ride
in a race in the UK. I didn’t realise that until a few weeks out from the race and it was a bit
surprising I was the first. Hopefully it will encourage a lot more people to get involved with
horses and racing.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just started studying Mechanical Engineering at Brighton University so I am not riding as much
but I would love to ride in another charity race and perhaps even take out an amateur jockeys’
licence.
What would you say to anyone else who
wanted to follow in your footsteps?
Just go for it. If there was just one person who was inspired by me to go and follow their
dreams, that would be amazing. So I think it’s about just getting out there, giving it a go and
doing your best.
Q & AOli Bell, Producer
Where did the idea come from for someone
from Ebony Horse Club to ride in the
Magnolia Cup?
I have worked in racing all my life and became a patron of Ebony Horse Club in 2018. I thought it
would be great to bring these two areas of my life together and shine a light on the brilliant work
of the club which is in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in Britain, and how it is opening up
opportunities for young people in racing.
Give us an idea of the scale of the challenge
facing Khadijah?
I can’t stress enough how much of a mammoth task Khadijah faced. At the start of this project
she had never sat on a racehorse, she was taking her A-Levels and observing Ramadan. Lots of
people think that jockeys just ‘sit there’ but they are actually incredibly fit and tough – they have
to be able to control a half ton racehorse travelling at 40mph. So there was loads of fitness work
in the gym to build up her core strength to be able to pass the assessment. She also had to work
really hard at the riding side and by the end I think she was probably riding three horses a day.
Not to mention the mental side of it, being prepared to ride in a race in front of 25,000 people at
Goodwood and millions on TV worldwide. We struck gold with Khadijah who was never phased
by anything we asked of her.
Oli Bell can’t hide his delight as Khadijah wins the
Magnolia Cup at Goodwood
Oli Bell, on the racecourse as
a permanent member of the
ITV Racing team
What was it like on race day?
I was a nervous wreck but Khadijah’s win was completely and utterly amazing. We had
been documenting her journey for four months – all the highs and lows and what she
accomplished was nothing short of remarkable. For me, she had won before she even
got on her horse, Haverland, on raceday. We would all have been so proud of her to just
finish the race safely – but to win it was incredible, beyond our wildest dreams. I don’t
think we could have found someone more focused, ambitious or who deserved it more.
What do you want to achieve with the
documentary?
I hope that people watching Riding a Dream will see what Khadijah’s achieved and
feel inspired. It’s a wonderful story because you see someone who never would have
expected to ride in a race, let alone win a race and you can see her blossom. Hopefully
it will show that whoever you are, whatever your background, you can achieve your
dreams. There is no doubt that what Khadijah achieved was a significant moment, not
just in racing but in the wider sporting world. I hope it will encourage more people to
get involved in the sport and help racing broaden its appeal..
“I hope it will encourage more
people to get involved in the
sport and help racing broaden
its appeal.”
Charlie Fellowes (left), Oli Bell, Executive Producer (right) join Khadijah at Newmarket Racecourse.
Oli Bell
Determined, Ambitious, Inspirational
Charlie FellowesTRAINER OF HAVERLAND THE HORSE THAT KHADIJAH RODE
TO VICTORY
“Khadijah’s just a legend. I’ve never known anyone with so
much focus and determination. I’ll be honest, when she came
to the yard about six weeks before the race, I wasn’t sure that
she would make it. Racehorses are such highly strung animals and they are completely
different to the horses that she will have ridden at Ebony Horse Club. But with every
setback she just worked harder. She turned up, she put the hard hours in and she did it.
I had a winner at Royal Ascot this year but seeing her win was definitely up there with
that. I was absolutely thrilled for her.”
NICK BENTLEYBRITISH HORSERACING AUTHORITY JOCKEY COACH
“Usually when I am coaching someone for a race like the
Magnolia Cup I’d be wanting them to ride out three times a
week but with Khadijah’s exams that just wasn’t possible.
Knowing what she was up against and the level she needed to
get to in the timescales I thought “crikey, this is going to be tough.” But then I got to
know her a bit more and I knew that she had the attitude to do it. By the time we came
to the assessment I was quietly confident. There are not many people who would be
able to get through what she did in the time we had. She’s an inspiration. Her courage
and her enthusiasm was unbelievable.”
HAYLEY TURNERJOCKEY
“It’s incredible what Khadijah achieved. There was so much
focus on her in the build-up to the race which would have been
a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone someone having their
first competitive race. But she is a tough cookie. We did her first
gallop together about a week out from the race and you could see how much she had
come on. To think what she achieved in such a short space of time is amazing – she is a
very talented, special woman.”
“Just wanted to reach out to you and say you’re
such an inspiration! [….] It’s pretty difficult to see
hijabi women in professional sport and you are the
first I’ve seen in equestrian. Sending you massive
congratulations.”
“My little sister saw the story on Khadijah and
now wants to be a jockey and was so delighted to
see another hijabi doing something amazing. Thank
you for breaking these barriers.”
FT
SOCIAL MEDIA
Riding a Dream is independently produced by Oli Bell, an ITV Racing presenter and his brother Philip
Bell and is directed by Tommy Bolwell and Mattia Reiniger of Unveil Arts. The film was jointly funded
by Great British Racing, the sport’s promotional body, along with Goodwood Racecourse and The
Racing Foundation, as official partners.
The filmmakers
Tommy Bolwell – Director and Producer
Tommy studied photography with Mattia Reiniger at London College of Communication, and they
have been collaborating ever since. He began his film career in 2011, shooting the first episode of
multi award-winning web series, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared. Since then his work has spanned
comedies, commercials and documentaries. He recently worked with Ed Perkins on Black Sheep
which was nominated at the 91st Academy Awards, 2019, for best Short Documentary. Tommy’s own
work is often concerned with sub-culture. His last documentary film, Calamity Jane was set in an
authentic Old West Town (c.1880s America) in the Kent countryside, following Sam, a cross dressing
62 year old Cowboy. The film elegantly addresses her gender struggle through her passionate hobby
of re-enactment.
Mattia Reiniger – Director and Producer
Having graduated from the University of the Arts London with a degree in photography, Mattia soon
chose a career in the field of moving image. As a filmmaker he has directed advertising and
branded content for a variety of clients such as eBay, Sony, Swarovski, Olympus, M&S and, in the role
of documentarian, was embedded in the Nike Football Academy, where he created weekly videos
exploring the challenging path in the life of a young footballer, from amateur to professional. In
recent times, Mattia’s practise has centred on storytelling with a strong human focus. His short film
Tales of Resilience was screened on Portuguese National Television as part of a feature profiling life in
rural Mozambique. Other works include Rettir, a film about the thousand-year-old tradition of
herding sheep in the secluded highlands Iceland.
production credits
Oli Bell - Producer
Oli is the presenter of ITV Racing’s The Opening Show having previously worked for Racing TV
and Sky Racing in Australia. Oli’s career started behind the scenes as an Assistant Producer with
Racing TV before transitioning to the presenter’s chair. As well as horse-racing, Oli has recently
presented Boxing, Darts and Football on ITV. A keen sportsman, Oli is never far away from a
sporting event but it is his passion for racing that has occupied most of his professional work.
This is Oli’s producing debut, alongside his brother Philip, and friends Tommy Bolwell and
Mattia Reiniger.
Philip Bell - Producer
Since returning from Berkeley University in California, Philip has been working in the television and
film industry for the past eight years. His professional journey began with Christian Knowles
Productions before moving to Curtis Brown in the role of assistant agent. With that invaluable
experience under his belt Philip progressed into the role of Agent with Noel Gay before recently
taking a position in the same role at Galloways Agency. Throughout his career Philip has dealt
with high profile clients both in Europe and America and represented some of the biggest names
and rising stars. Having always held a deep-rooted love for the world and history of film, being
involved in film production has long been an ambition and Riding A Dream is Philip’s film debut
alongside his brother Oli and friends Tommy Bolwell and Mattia Reiniger.
Official Partners
ABOUT GREAT BRIT ISH RACING
Great British Racing is the marketing and promotional arm of British horseracing - the
second biggest spectator sport in the country. Our role is to widen the horseracing’s
fan-base and to help maintain British racing’s position internationally as the best in the
world. To find out more about British Horseracing go to www.greatbritishracing.com/
ridingadream.
ABOUT THE QATAR GOODWOOD FESTIVALAND THE MAGNOLIA CUP
The world-famous five-day festival run at the end of July– affectionately known as
‘Glorious Goodwood’ – is one of the highlights of the flat racing season. Over 100,000
people flock to the world’s most beautiful racecourse to enjoy top class racing and
entertainment, including the £1million Qatar Sussex Stakes, the cavalry charge that is the
Qatar Steward’s Cup and the long distance Qatar Goodwood Cup.
The Magnolia Cup took place on Thursday 1st August in support of Wellbeing of
Women, run over 5 and a half furlongs, it was won by Khadijah Mellah on Haverland,
trained by Charlie Fellowes. This year’s other 11 riders were: Vogue Williams; Victoria
Pendleton; Rosie Tapner; Sophie Van Der Merwe; Kitty Trice; Valeria Holinger; Rachael
Gowland; Kate Grover; Alexis Green; Luisa Zissman and Georgia Connolly.
ABOUT THE RACING FOUNDATION
The Racing Foundation was established in January 2012 by the British Horseracing
Authority, the Horsemen’s Group and Racecourse Association, as a charity, to oversee
the distribution of funds to charitable causes within racing following the sale of the Tote.
Their purpose is to make a difference in racing by acting as a catalyst and a funder of
improvement. Since inception, the Racing Foundation has granted over £15million to
charities associated with the horseracing and Thoroughbred breeding industry in the UK,
supporting work in social welfare, education and training, horse welfare, equine science
research, and heritage and culture.
ABOUT EBONY HORSE CLUB
Ebony Horse Club is a charity and community riding centre in Brixton which teaches
riding and horse care and takes groups to outdoor events and on trips away. Through
the club children learn new skills, develop aspirations and take on new responsibilities.
They feel part of something important, building confidence and improving their
wellbeing. Through the club’s youth services work they also mentor children, giving
support to those that need it most.
To support Ebony’s work please go to www.ebonyhorseclub.org.uk
Riding a Dream has been jointly funded by Great British Racing, the sport’s promotional body, along with Goodwood Racecourse and The Racing Foundation, as official partners.
press contacts
Naomi LawsonHEAD OF PR, GREAT BRITISH RACING
T: 020 7152 0196
M: 07881 266359
Information on and interviews with Khadijah Mellah; Oli Bell and Ebony Horse Club.
GRANT CUNNINGHAMHEAD OF PUBLICITY, FACTUAL & SPORT, ITV
T: 020 7157 3023
M: 07764 210742
Programme information and listings