Dick Francis, former jockey and best-selling author, dies at 89 | Daily Mail Online
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Former jockey turned best-selling author Dick Francis died today at the age of 89.
Francis was one of Britain's most famous steeplechase jockeys and achieved even greater celebrity status as an international best-selling thriller writer.
As a champion jockey who for four seasons rode for the Queen Mother, he took part in 2,305 races from 1948 to 1957 winning 345 of them.
Probably his most famous race for his Royal patron was the 1956 Grand National, when he had been on course for certain victory when his horse Devon Loch collapsed.
Crime writer and former jockey Dick Francis, who has died aged 89
Francis retired after a bad fall just a few months later. That same year he published his autobiography and five years later his first novel, Dead Cert.
It was the start of a prolific writing career that saw a new novel published every year in at least 23 languages, with the Queen Mother reputedly one of his most enthusiastic readers.
Francis was handed an OBE in 1984 and then made a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 2000.
His last three novels were written with his younger son, Felix, a former teacher, who had previously helped research much of his work. 
Today, Felix said he was 'devastated' as he paid tribute to his 'extraordinary' father.
The writer's spokesman said he was 'rightly acclaimed' as one of the best thriller writers in the world.
The novelist had been living on the Cayman Islands in his latter years. A spokesman said he had died of 'old age'.
His son said in a statement: 'My brother, Merrick, and I are, of course, devastated by the loss of our father, but we rejoice in having been the sons of such an extraordinary man.
'We share in the joy that he brought to so many over such a long life. It is an honour for me to be able to continue his remarkable legacy through the new novels.'
Francis wrote a volume of short stories, an autobiography and the biography of Lester Piggott.
Even Money, written with Felix, was published in September 2009 and Crossfire, the pair's new novel together, is due to be published this autumn. 
Honour: Dick Francis and his wife Mary after receiving his CBE in 2000
With his OBE in 1984 (L) and (R) in the 90s with one of his best-sellers
Richard Francis was born in Tenby, the younger son of a horse broker and moved to Maidenhead in Berkshire as a boy. Horses were in his blood and hunting and showjumping were his first loves.
At the outbreak of war he wanted to join the cavalry but in the end he joined the RAF in 1940 as a bomber pilot.
He was demobbed in 1946 and went to work in his father's stables where he was a steeplechase trainer's assistant and an amateur jockey.
In 1947 he married Mary Brenchley, whom he had been courting for two years. At first Mary, a teacher who became a stage manager, refused to marry him as she wanted to pursue her career.
But when he finally won her round it was the beginning of what became an almost legendary happy marriage, with Francis dependent on her not just for love, support and companionship but also as a researcher for his books and a sounding board for ideas.
He became a professional steeplechase jockey in 1948 and was retained by Lord Bicester. In 1953 he also joined Peter Cazalet's yard, where many of the Queen Mother's horses were trained and rode for her frequently.
He won the title of Champion Jockey in the 1953/54 season and his success continued until the fateful day at the 1956 Grand National when Devon Loch collapsed beneath him just 50 yards from the Aintree finishing post - one of the most inexplicable mysteries in the history of the National.
The questions and furore surrounding the incident brought about an even more significant sequel for Francis because he was urged on to write his autobiography 'The Sport of Queens'.
1956: Dick Francis riding Devon Loch, the Queen Mother's horse, in the Grand National. It was winning before appearing to jump a phantom fence in the final straight. By the time it had recovered, it had been overtaken
So close: Francis walks off the racecourse after the bizarre collapse on Devon Loch
His writing opened doors to a new career and following a particularly bad fall at Leicester in January 1957, one in a long and painful list of injuries he suffered throughout his career, he took Lord Abergavenny's advice to 'give up at the top'.
Shortly after his autobiography was published he became a racing correspondent for the Sunday Express. He had never been interested in school work as a boy and in the face of this new career he turned to his wife Mary for lessons in basic spelling and punctuation.
He found journalism in itself an education in concise writing which he found invaluable when he turned to writing novels.
His first thriller was Dead Cert, published in 1962, and by the time Nerve was published two years later critics were coming to the firm conclusion that this former steeplechase jockey-writer was an evens favourite with the prospect of many more winners to come.
His books were all set against the background of the racing world and his heroes all had similarities, the strangest of which was that nearly all of them had a physical handicap.
Only one of his heroes, Sid Halley, was allowed to feature twice, first in Odds Against and later in Whip Hand. Sid, a moral as well as a physical cripple, among all Francis's characters was recognised as being closest to the author's heart.
Royal patron: Francis was jockey to the Queen Mother (pictured right)
Pen in hand, Francis relaxes. His books were all set against the background of the racing world
Francis recalled in an interview that it was Whip Hand more than any of his other books which put him through an emotional upheaval.
None of his heroes had intellectual or artistic interests, they were classless - almost anonymous but they were very intelligent.
The success of his books lay in the immediacy of his narrative, its vigour and its simplicity. At the same time he showed a subtlety and originality in both the setting and the denouement of problems.
The images were powerful, vivid and often macabre and there was a realism which was undoubtedly due to the tireless research both he and Mary put into the books.
For the bodily agonies he put his characters through, he could primarily recall his own experiences of numerous broken bones during his riding career.
He and his wife travelled the world for accurate details and Mary even learned to fly for the book Flying Finish, published in 1966. A further outcome of that was that the couple started an air taxi business together with their friend Lester Piggott.
Their friendship led to Francis writing Piggott's biography. When Piggott was jailed for tax offences the world's press turned to Francis for more information but Francis made it clear he knew nothing.
He said: 'Lester had made it plain that he didn't want to talk about money - that was his most sensitive subject.'
In 1987 the couple moved to Florida, mainly to help Mary's health as she suffered from asthma.
They sold their Berkshire home but kept a boat on the River Thames for their two sons' families to share. They also continued to have an annual family reunion at Paignton.
Meanwhile, Francis received accolades from all quarters, including The Edgar Allen Poe Award in 1970 and 1980, Gold Dagger Award 1980 and Cartier Diamond Dagger Award 1989, all for best crime novel of the year, as well as the OBE.
His eldest son Merrick followed his father into the horse racing world as a trainer and their younger son Felix went into teaching but later became his parents' manager.
Mary, to whom he was married for 53 years, died in 2000.
Even Money, written with Felix, was published in September 2009 and Crossfire, the new Dick and Felix Francis novel, will be published later this year.