Riding a Dream Academy
The Harris Federation educates over 40,000 children across London and Essex. As many of our academies are located in inner-city areas, and many of our students experience some form of disadvantage, access to opportunities and exciting activities are always something we are keen to support our students to experience.
Ten students from Harris Academy Peckham in South London have become the first to take part in the Riding A Dream Academy’s Regional Week, held at Epsom Downs Racecourse, home to the world-famous Derby.
Riding a Dream Academy is a horse riding academy designed for young riders from diverse communities, underprivileged backgrounds and urban equestrian centres to encourage them to get involved in British horseracing. The academy was set up in honour and recognition of Khadijah Mellah, the first British Muslim woman to ride in and win a UK horse race.
Khadijah was raised in Peckham, and emphasises the importance of students from disadvantaged students getting access to unique opportunities such as this, and that "no matter where you come from, there is a place for everyone within racing."
The week long experience including horseriding, which for many of the students was a first time experience, media training with ITV, looking after the horses at Epsom and gaining and all round experience of the Equestrian lifestyle. The opportunity for students to experience something they would otherwise not be able to access would not be possible without the support of organisations like Riding a Dream academy.
The organisation champions young people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to get into racing. In its pilot year (2021-22) 74% of its students came from a diverse ethnic background.