Djibril grew up in the Pablo Picasso housing estate in Nanterre, a Parisian. At summer camp, aged 13, he rode a horse for the first time.
It was love at first sight. On the way home, he told his parents he wanted to take up horse riding, but they laughed at him. So he called up a riding school in the bougie 16th arrondissement of Paris, offering his services in exchange for the chance to ride.
Little by little, he made a place for himself in this rather closed world. Today, he coaches youngsters in competitions, rides and sells horses, and has set up an association to promote horse riding in working-class neighbourhoods.
@streetpress is a Sphera Network member and this story is part of our “Animals and Humans” series.
