Riding A Dream students secure British Racing School spots
Two Riding A Dream academy students with ambitions of becoming champion Flat and jumps jockeys have secured their places at the British Racing School this summer.
Sienna, 15, and Kayanna, 16, will take up their places having been on the Academy's Khadijah Mellah Scholarship, a year-long programme for talented riders from diverse communities, underprivileged backgrounds an urban equestrian centres.
Sienna, who was on opening year of the scholarship, said: "I have dreamt of being a jockey since I was eight years old so this is a dream come true for me. When I was growing up, I was quite reserved in talking about what I wanted to do because people were uneducated about horse racing and it had quite a stereotype which often resulted in people finding it funny for me to say I wanted to be a jockey.
“The Riding A Dream Academy has opened so many doors for me and allowed me to pursue this dream, which was almost impossible for someone like me from inner city London with no horse background."
Sienna's ultimate goals are to help promote change in stereotypes within the sport and to become the first female champion Flat jockey, but she acknowledges that she may have to settle for runner-up with respect to the second one.
"I would love to be a flat jockey and be involved in changing the stereotypes around racing, bring in more diversity and help influence the next generation of Riding A Dream Academy students. My dream is to be the first female champion Flat jockey – but I think Hollie Doyle might beat me to it!
Kayanna, who started riding at the Urban Equestrian Academy in Leicester, has benefitted immensely from the Riding A Dream Academy, which has helped her win a place on this year's Khadijah Mellah Scholarship.
She said: “Being on the Riding A Dream Academy has helped me with my confidence and shown me all the different career opportunities within racing. It has been great learning to ride racehorses and I am looking forward to even more in-depth training of working with them when I join the Foundation Course at the British Racing School later this year.
"My dream is to become a jump jockey and I hope that with lots of hard work and commitment and all the encouragement I will get from the team, the sky will be the limit for me."
Read these next:
Riding A Dream Academy to launch course for those with little or no experience
First students of the Khadijah Mellah Scholarship celebrate graduation
Riding A Dream Academy to expand programme after landing three-year funding deal
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