Dick Francis CBE (born Richard Stanley Francis on 31 October 1920) is a British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.
Francis was born in Lawrenny, south Wales, in October 1920, the son of a jockey and stable manager. He left school at 15 without any qualifications, with the intention of becoming a jockey and became a trainer in 1938. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, including th...
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Dick Francis CBE (born Richard Stanley Francis on 31 October 1920) is a British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.
Francis was born in Lawrenny, south Wales, in October 1920, the son of a jockey and stable manager. He left school at 15 without any qualifications, with the intention of becoming a jockey and became a trainer in 1938. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, including the Spitfire and Hurricane. In 1945, he met his future wife, Mary Margaret Brenchley, whom he married in 1947; they had two sons. Francis' wife died on 30 September 2000.
After leaving the RAF in 1946 he became a celebrity in the world of British National Hunt racing. He won over 350 races, becoming champion jockey in the 1953-54 season.
From 1953 to 1957 he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. In 1957 he was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall. His most famous moment as a jockey came while riding the Queen...
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