Liam Treadwell (3 January 1986 – 23 June 2020) was an English National Hunt jockey, who won over 300 races between 2009 and 2019. He won the 2009 Grand National on Mon Mome at odds of 100/1, and also won the United House Gold Cup, Byrne Group Plate and Grand Sefton Steeplechase races.
| Liam Treadwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | National Hunt jockey |
| Born | 3 January 1986 Arundel, West Sussex, England |
| Died | 23 June 2020 (aged 34) Billingsley, Shropshire, England |
| Career wins | 308 |
| Significant horses | |
| Mon Mome | |
Personal life
editTreadwell was born in Arundel, West Sussex, England. He attended the local Angmering School.[1][2] He was nicknamed "Tredders".[3]
Career
editTreadwell worked alongside trainer Venetia Williams.[4] He was the winner of the 2009 Grand National, having ridden Mon Mome to victory at odds of 100/1. It was only the fifth time a horse at those odds won the race, the most recent being Foinavon in 1967.[5] It was Treadwell's debut in the Grand National, in his first season in jump racing.[6] After his Grand National victory on 4 April 2009, Clare Balding interviewed him and made fun of his apparently bad teeth. Both the BBC and Balding apologised by 6 April.[7] Balding later said on BBC's Have I Got News for You quiz that she believed Treadwell to have had his teeth "kicked out" by a horse, a common injury suffered by jockeys, apologising again for her error.[8][9] The BBC received over 2,000 complaints about Balding's remarks.[10] Treadwell later received calls from dentists offering to fix his teeth for free.[1] Later in 2009, Treadwell caused another upset by winning the United House Gold Cup at Ascot on The Last Derby at odds of 33/1.[11]
In 2013, Treadwell won the Byrne Group Plate race at the Cheltenham Festival on Carrickboy.[12][13] He was taken to hospital after falling in the Topham Chase.[14] In the 2013–14 season, Treadwell had 42 winners, the most he achieved in a racing season.[15] Treadwell was a standby rider for the 2014 Grand National.[16] In 2015, he came third at the Grand National riding Monbeg Dude,[12] and won the Grand Sefton Steeplechase on Bennys Mist.[13] In 2016, he sustained a head injury after falling at Bangor. He was unable to race for six months.[4] His injury was featured in a Professional Jockeys Association film about the dangers of concussion in horse racing.[17]
Treadwell announced his retirement on 13 February 2018,[9][8] citing health reasons, including his head injury and a shoulder injury. He had 298 winners at the time.[15] In March 2019, he resumed racing, working with trainer Alastair Ralph.[8][4] In his first race back, he rode Czech Her Out, who narrowly lost out to Miss Honey Ryder.[18] He rode ten winners in the 2019–20 season, and worked as an assistant trainer for Ralph.[2]
In total, Treadwell won 308 National Hunt races, and 28 flat races.[2]
Death
editTreadwell died on 23 June 2020, aged 34, in Billingsley, Shropshire, after taking a mixture of drugs including an animal painkiller and class A substances.[19][20][21] At an inquest in February 2021 a coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure.[21]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Grand National winner Liam Treadwell offered chance to fix teeth for free". The Daily Telegraph. 23 April 2009. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- ^ a b c "Liam Treadwell: A tribute to the jockey who rode 100–1 Grand National winner". i. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Jockey Liam Treadwell dies aged 34". RTÉ.ie. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Liam Treadwell, 2009 Grand National-winning jockey, dies aged 34". The Guardian. 23 June 2020. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^ "Mon Mome seals shock National win". BBC Sport. 4 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
- ^ Longmore, Andrew (5 April 2009). "Rookie wins the National lottery". The Times. London. Retrieved 5 April 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Jockey on Balding teeth joke". BBC News. 6 April 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ a b c "Liam Treadwell: Mon Mome Grand National-winning jockey retires". BBC Sport. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Grand National-winning jockey Liam Treadwell retires". Irish Examiner. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ "Clare Balding: Why I snubbed the Grand National for the Boat Race". The Daily Telegraph. 20 March 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Treadwell causes 33–1 upset in Ascot". Irish Examiner. 31 October 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Liam Treadwell: Grand National-winning jockey dies aged 34". BBC Sport. 23 June 2020. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Liam Treadwell death: Grand National winning jockey dies aged 94". The Independent. 23 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Grand National meeting: Little Josh put down after Aintree fall". BBC Sport. 5 April 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Grand National-winning rider Liam Treadwell: being a jockey isn't for me anymore". Racing Post. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Grand National 2014: Big race rides for three jockeys in jeopardy after heavy falls". The Daily Telegraph. 4 April 2014. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Jockey organisations release film to highlight dangers of concussion". Racing Post. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Treadwell just misses out on comeback winner as Czech shaded out by Honey Ryder". Racing Post. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "'It's unbelievably sad' – Grand National-winning jockey Liam Treadwell dies at 34". Irish Independent. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ Smith, Rory (23 June 2020). "100/1 Grand National winner Liam Treadwell found dead near Bridgnorth". www.expressandstar.com.
- ^ a b "Grand National hero Liam Treadwell died after taking mixture of strong drugs". Racing Post. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.