RACING MOURNS NATIONAL WINNER
Tragedy as jockey Treadwell found dead aged 34
THE racing community was left reeling yesterday after the death of Liam Treadwell — the jockey who won the 2009 Grand National on 100-1 shot Mon Mome — at the age of just 34.
After being called to his home in Shropshire, West Mercia police said there was ‘no third party involvement’ in Treadwell’s death.
His tragic death comes less than four months after he was a pall-bearer at the funeral of his friend and former jockey James Banks, who had taken his own life.
Most recently Treadwell had been riding for Shropshire trainer Alastair Ralph.
In a statement, Treadwell’s parents Mark and Lorraine and his brother Nathan said: ‘We are heartbroken that this has happened. We ask kindly that everyone respects our privacy in the coming days so that we can begin to come to terms with our loss.’
After Treadwell’s win on Mon Mome, his profile gained wider public recognition when BBC presenter Clare Balding made a comment about his crooked teeth.
Some viewers complained about Balding’s comments but Treadwell had the last laugh as he was inundated with offers of free treatments, including from a dentist who had backed Mon Mome.
Treadwell, teeth straightened, would later say: ‘It was the best thing Clare ever said.’
On Twitter yesterday, Balding said: ‘I am desperately sad to hear of the death of Liam Treadwell. My heart goes out to his family and all his friends. He was the loveliest guy with a great sense of humour. It is a tragedy to have lost him so young.’
Treadwell got the ride on Venetia Williams-trained Mon Mome after her No 1 jockey Aidan Coleman decided to ride stablemate Stan in the race but the victory did not transform Treadwell’s career.
Sadly, the jockey’s lifechanging moment was a fall at Bangor in February 2016. It left him unconscious for four minutes and precipitated far bigger life changes — mental health issues, a broken marriage and a premature first retirement.
After he returned, ironically with a fall at Kempton in November, Treadwell told
Sportsmail of his battle to return to the job he loved.
The rider said: ‘The technical term is cumulative concussions. Friends and family said I had to see someone because I was not myself. I was signed off from the end of May and seeing sport psychologists as well as having great support from the Injured Jockeys Fund.
‘It got to the stage where I was struggling driving a car because of concentration. My memory wasn’t great and if I was to run 100 yards down the road it felt like I had had a whack around the head. It wasn’t a pleasant place.’
Treadwell had spoken about issues surrounding concussion and mental health in a film called Jockey Matters, produced by the Professional Jockeys Association.
In a statement, the PJA said: ‘We were heartbroken to be informed that one of our own, Liam Treadwell, has died. Tributes to Liam have rightly flowed in, given how universally popular, well-liked and respected he was, and the weighing room will be a lesser place for his absence.
‘He was a gifted horseman, valued by racehorse trainers for both this and his communication skills. He was polite, funny, kind and brave. It is devastating.’ The unassuming and approachable Treadwell rode just over 300 winners. Most of his big winners came for Williams, including the Byrne Plate Chase on Carrickboy at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival. He also finished third in the 2015 Grand National on Michael Scudamore-trained Monbeg Dude.
A native of Sussex, Treadwell had two seasons as stable jockey to jumps trainer Nick Gifford but had started his career on the Flat as an apprentice with Amanda Perrett and then the late David Nicholls.
Treadwell retired in 2018 but had returned to the saddle in March last year.