BRS graduate, jockey Aamilah Aswat, makes history at Kempton

Former BRS and Riding a Dream Academy student, Aamilah Aswat, has made history by becoming the first female Black British jump jockey to win a UK horse race. Aamilah won the Best Odds Guaranteed Overnight At CopyBet Handicap Hurdle on horse Guchen, trained by Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls, yesterday at Kempton Park racecourse. It was just her fourth professional ride having taken out her jockey’s license in Autumn 2025.

Aamilah said, “First of all I would like to thank everyone who has supported me every step of the way and to Kim and Mat and the owners for giving me this opportunity. Words can’t express what it feels like to have achieved this win so soon. I just feel really happy and hopefully it’s just the beginning for me and there’ll be many more wins to come in my career.”

Aamilah, who grew up in Gloucester and is of Indian and Jamaican heritage, first learned to ride at St James’s City Farm in the city, ahead of competing in pony races with the Pony Racing Authority. She then joined the inaugural Riding A Dream Academy scholarship programme in 2021-22 which was set up to support young people from diverse ethnic communities into horse racing after Khadijah Mellah won the Magnolia Cup in 2019 and was supported on the programme by The Jockey Club. She then completed the Foundation Course (an apprenticeship programme) at the British Racing School and has since been working at the yard of Grand National winning trainer, Kim Bailey and training partner, Mat Nichols near Cheltenham.

Naomi Lawson, co-founder of the Riding A Dream Academy said, “We’re so incredibly proud of Aamilah. She has always been a stand-out talent and we are so pleased that all her hard work has paid off. For her to make history today and become the first Riding A Dream Academy student to win a race is incredible and we are so grateful to everyone who has supported her on her journey.”

Find out more about the Riding a Dream Academy here.

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