{{Short description|English jockey (1986–2020)}}
{{Use British English| date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox horseracing personality |name = Liam Treadwell |image = Liam Treadwell.jpg |caption = |alt = Headshot of a man in white and red horse racing kit |occupation = National Hunt jockey |birth_place = Arundel, West Sussex, England |birth_date = 3 January 1986 |death_place = Billingsley, Shropshire, England |death_date = {{death date and age|2020|6|23|1986|1|3|df=yes}} |career wins = 308 |race = |awards = |honours = |horses = Mon Mome| }}
'''Liam Treadwell''' (3 January 1986{{spnd}}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.
==Personal life== Treadwell was born in Arundel, West Sussex, England. He attended the local Angmering School.<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/5203611/Grand-National-winner-Liam-Treadwell-offered-chance-to-fix-teeth-for-free.html| title=Grand National winner Liam Treadwell offered chance to fix teeth for free| work=The Daily Telegraph| url-access=subscription| date=23 April 2009| accessdate=23 June 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426235045/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/5203611/Grand-National-winner-Liam-Treadwell-offered-chance-to-fix-teeth-for-free.html| archive-date=26 April 2009| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=i>{{cite news| url=https://inews.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/liam-treadwell-death-34-jockey-mon-mome-cause-of-death-grand-national-winner-453921| title= Liam Treadwell: A tribute to the jockey who rode 100–1 Grand National winner| work=i| date=23 June 2020| accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref> He was nicknamed "Tredders".<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/racing/2020/0623/1149144-jockey-liam-treadwell-dies-aged-34/| title= Jockey Liam Treadwell dies aged 34| work=RTÉ.ie| date=23 June 2020| accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref>
==Career== Treadwell worked alongside trainer Venetia Williams.<ref name=Guardian/> 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.<ref>{{cite news | title=Mon Mome seals shock National win | publisher=BBC Sport | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/7982075.stm | access-date=5 April 2009 | date=4 April 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408012018/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/7982075.stm | archive-date=8 April 2009 | url-status=live }}</ref> It was Treadwell's debut in the Grand National, in his first season in jump racing.<ref>{{cite news | title= Rookie wins the National lottery | work=The Times | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article6035878.ece | accessdate=5 April 2009 | location=London | first=Andrew | last=Longmore | date=5 April 2009|url-access=subscription}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7985997.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Jockey on Balding teeth joke | date=6 April 2009 | accessdate=7 May 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409110035/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7985997.stm | archive-date=9 April 2009 | url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|title=Liam Treadwell: Mon Mome Grand National-winning jockey retires|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/43049552|accessdate=9 March 2018|publisher=BBC Sport|date=13 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427202715/https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/43049552|archive-date=27 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=IE>{{cite news|title=Grand National-winning jockey Liam Treadwell retires|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/grand-national-winning-jockey-liam-treadwell-retires-827916.html|accessdate=9 March 2018|work=Irish Examiner|date=13 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074106/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/grand-national-winning-jockey-liam-treadwell-retires-827916.html|archive-date=10 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The BBC received over 2,000 complaints about Balding's remarks.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11484436/Clare-Balding-Why-I-snubbed-the-Grand-National-for-the-Boat-Race.html| title=Clare Balding: Why I snubbed the Grand National for the Boat Race| work=The Daily Telegraph| date=20 March 2015| accessdate=23 June 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109023559/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11484436/Clare-Balding-Why-I-snubbed-the-Grand-National-for-the-Boat-Race.html| archive-date=9 January 2016| url-status=live}}</ref> Treadwell later received calls from dentists offering to fix his teeth for free.<ref name=Telegraph/> 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.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/treadwell-causes-33-1-upset-in-ascot-432493.html| title=Treadwell causes 33–1 upset in Ascot| work=Irish Examiner| date=31 October 2009| accessdate=23 June 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629110349/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/treadwell-causes-33-1-upset-in-ascot-432493.html| archive-date=29 June 2018| url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2013, Treadwell won the Byrne Group Plate race at the Cheltenham Festival on Carrickboy.<ref name=BBC2020>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/53150457| title=Liam Treadwell: Grand National-winning jockey dies aged 34| publisher=BBC Sport| date=23 June 2020| accessdate=23 June 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623130517/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/53150457| archive-date=23 June 2020| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Ind>{{cite news| url= https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/liam-treadwell-death-age-cause-grand-national-alastair-ralph-a9581136.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/liam-treadwell-death-age-cause-grand-national-alastair-ralph-a9581136.html |archive-date=14 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live| title= Liam Treadwell death: Grand National winning jockey dies aged 94| work=The Independent| date=23 June 2020| accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref> He was taken to hospital after falling in the Topham Chase.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/22045330| title= Grand National meeting: Little Josh put down after Aintree fall| publisher=BBC Sport| date=5 April 2013| accessdate=23 June 2016}}</ref> In the 2013–14 season, Treadwell had 42 winners, the most he achieved in a racing season.<ref name=RP>{{cite news| url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/news/grand-national-winning-rider-liam-treadwell-announces-retirement/319452| title=Grand National-winning rider Liam Treadwell: being a jockey isn't for me anymore| work=Racing Post| date=13 February 2018| accessdate=23 June 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215043810/https://www.racingpost.com/news/news/grand-national-winning-rider-liam-treadwell-announces-retirement/319452| archive-date=15 February 2018| url-status=live}}</ref> Treadwell was a standby rider for the 2014 Grand National.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/grand-national/10745894/Grand-National-2014-Big-race-rides-for-three-jockeys-in-jeopardy-after-heavy-falls.html| title=Grand National 2014: Big race rides for three jockeys in jeopardy after heavy falls| work=The Daily Telegraph| url-access=subscription| date=4 April 2014| accessdate=23 June 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510080018/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/grand-national/10745894/Grand-National-2014-Big-race-rides-for-three-jockeys-in-jeopardy-after-heavy-falls.html| archive-date=10 May 2015| url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, he came third at the Grand National riding Monbeg Dude,<ref name=BBC2020/> and won the Grand Sefton Steeplechase on Bennys Mist.<ref name=Ind/> In 2016, he sustained a head injury after falling at Bangor. He was unable to race for six months.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news| url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/23/liam-treadwell-2009-grand-national-winning-jockey-dies-aged-34| title= Liam Treadwell, 2009 Grand National-winning jockey, dies aged 34| work= The Guardian| date= 23 June 2020| access-date= 24 June 2020| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200623192235/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/23/liam-treadwell-2009-grand-national-winning-jockey-dies-aged-34| archive-date= 23 June 2020| url-status= live}}</ref> His injury was featured in a Professional Jockeys Association film about the dangers of concussion in horse racing.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/jockey-organisations-release-film-to-highlight-dangers-of-concussion/306145| title= Jockey organisations release film to highlight dangers of concussion| work=Racing Post| date=26 October 2017| accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref>
Treadwell announced his retirement on 13 February 2018,<ref name=IE/><ref name=BBC/> citing health reasons, including his head injury and a shoulder injury. He had 298 winners at the time.<ref name=RP/> In March 2019, he resumed racing, working with trainer Alastair Ralph.<ref name=BBC/><ref name=Guardian/> In his first race back, he rode Czech Her Out, who narrowly lost out to Miss Honey Ryder.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.racingpost.com/news/treadwell-just-misses-out-on-comeback-winner-as-czech-shaded-out-by-honey-ryder/370390| title= Treadwell just misses out on comeback winner as Czech shaded out by Honey Ryder| work=Racing Post| date=11 March 2019| accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref> He rode ten winners in the 2019–20 season, and worked as an assistant trainer for Ralph.<ref name=i/>
In total, Treadwell won 308 National Hunt races, and 28 flat races.<ref name=i/>
==Death== Treadwell died on 23 June 2020, aged 34, in Billingsley, Shropshire, after taking a mixture of drugs including an animal painkiller and class A substances.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/its-unbelievably-sad-grand-national-winning-jockey-liam-treadwell-dies-at-34-39308740.html|title ='It's unbelievably sad' – Grand National-winning jockey Liam Treadwell dies at 34|date=23 June 2020|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/wyre-forest/kidderminster/2020/06/23/1001-grand-national-winner-liam-treadwell-found-dead-near-bridgnorth/|title=100/1 Grand National winner Liam Treadwell found dead near Bridgnorth|first=Rory|last=Smith|website=www.expressandstar.com|date=23 June 2020 }}</ref><ref name="Racing Post">{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/grand-national-hero-liam-treadwell-died-after-taking-mixture-of-strong-drugs/472823|title=Grand National hero Liam Treadwell died after taking mixture of strong drugs|date=11 February 2021|work=Racing Post|accessdate=12 February 2021}}</ref> At an inquest in February 2021 a coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure.<ref name="Racing Post"/>
==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} *List of jockeys
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treadwell, Liam}} Category:1986 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Drug-related deaths in England Category:English jockeys Category:People from Arundel Category:Sportspeople from West Sussex