Citizendia

Dick Francis
OccupationNovelist, retired jockey
Nationality
British
Writing period1957-present
GenresCrime fiction
Dick Francis.com Official website

Dick Francis CBE (born Richard Stanley Francis on October 31, 1920) is a British author and retired jockey. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created In Sport, a jockey is one who rides Horses in Horse racing or steeplechase racing primarily as a profession

Contents

Early life

He was born Richard Stanley Francis in Lawrenny, south Wales, the son of a jockey and stable manager [1]. In Sport, a jockey is one who rides Horses in Horse racing or steeplechase racing primarily as a profession

During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, including the Spitfire. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Horse racing career

He left the RAF in 1946 to become a celebrity in the world of British National Hunt racing. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland where the horses are required to jump over obstacles [2] He won over 350 races, becoming champion jockey in the 1953-54 season. This is a list of Champion Jockeys of Great Britain 's National Hunt racing. [3]

From 1953 to 1957 he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite 4 August 1900 &ndash 30 March 2002 was the Queen Consort of King George In 1957 he was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) His most famous moment as a jockey came while riding the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch, in the 1956 Grand National when the horse inexplicably fell when close to winning the race. Devon Loch was a famous racehorse Its most memorable moment by far came in the 1956 Grand National steeplechase when owned by HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world

Writing career

His first book was his autobiography, The Sport of Queens (1957), which led to him becoming the racing correspondent for the London Sunday Express, a position he held for 16 years. An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write" Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) In 1962, he published his first thriller, Dead Cert, set in the world of racing. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Subsequently, he regularly produced a novel a year for the next 38 years, missing only 1998 (during which he published a short-story collection). Although all his books were set against a background of horse racing, his heroes held a variety of jobs from artist (To the Hilt) to private investigator (Odds Against).

Francis is the only three-time recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Novel, winning for Forfeit in 1970, Whip Hand in 1981, and Come to Grief in 1996. Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers based in New York. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars) named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America. Also in 1976 he was given the Grand Master Award, the highest honor bestowed by the MWA. Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers based in New York.

Graham Lord's 1999 unauthorised biography, Dick Francis: A Racing Life, suggested that his books had in fact been written by Francis' wife, Mary. Graham Lord is a British biographer and novelist His biographies include those of Jeffrey Bernard, James Herriot, Dick Francis, David Niven, [1] Whether true or not, by all accounts Mary did much of the research and editing of Francis' later novels and stories, and often worked collaboratively with her husband on each book's actual composition. After Mary's death in the year 2000, Francis wrote no new works until Under Orders (a racing term for when the horses are at the start and subject to the starter's orders), released in September 26, 2006. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Under Orders is the title of a Novel by Dick Francis, published on 7 September 2006. [2]

Dick Francis' manager (and research assistant on the new book) is his son Felix, who left his well-paid post as a teacher at a UK private school (Bloxham School in Oxfordshire) in order to work for his father and who was the inspiration behind a leading character in the novel Twice Shy. Bloxham School is an independent co-educational day and boarding School located in the village of Bloxham, three miles from the town of Banbury in History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the His other son, Merrick, formerly a racehorse trainer, later ran his own horse transport business, thus inspiring the novel Driving Force.

Books

See also

References

  1. ^ The Sport of Queens
  2. ^ The Sport of Queens
  3. ^ The Sport of Queens

External links

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