Devon Loch (1946–1963) was a racehorse, which fell on the final straight while leading the 1956 Grand National.
Owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis, Devon Loch had won two races already that season and finished third in the National Hunt Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.[1] His progress was helped when the favourite, Must, and a previous winner, Early Mist, fell early on.[2]
He went to the front of the race with three jumps remaining, cleared the last half a length ahead of E.S.B., and took a commanding lead on the final stretch.[1] Then, in front of the royal box just 40 yards from the winning post and five lengths ahead, he suddenly inexplicably jumped into the air and landed on his stomach, allowing E.S.B. to overtake and win. Although jockey Dick Francis tried to cajole the horse, it was unable to continue. Afterwards, the Queen Mother said: "Oh, that's racing."[3][4]
It is not known why Devon Loch jumped; some reports claimed he suffered a cramp in his hindquarters causing the collapse. Another report asserted that a shadow thrown by the adjacent water-jump fence (which horses only traverse on the first circuit of the Aintree course) may have baffled Devon Loch into thinking a jump was required and – confused as to whether he should jump or not – he half-jumped and collapsed. Jockey Dick Francis later stated that a loud cheer from the crowd, for an expected royal winner, distracting the horse is a more likely explanation.
Reports that the horse had suffered a heart attack were dismissed, as Devon Loch recovered far too quickly for this to have been the case. He lived another six years, being put down during or shortly after the cold winter of 1962–3.
^ abRandall, John (14 February 2010). "Francis scaled the peaks as both rider and writer". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
^"Grand National 2016". Grand-national-world.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2006. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
^The Guardian (March 24, 1956). "Devon Loch joins the great failures".
^Armytage, Marcus (2004-04-06). "Francis was victim of a great sporting calamity". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03.
DevonLoch (1946–1963) was a racehorse, which fell on the final straight while leading the 1956 Grand National. Owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother...
"DevonLoch joins the great failures". The Guardian. London. 1 April 2005. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. "Search Results for 'devon loch'...
1956 as jockey to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, riding her horse DevonLoch which fell when close to winning the Grand National. Francis retired from...
Liverpool, England, on 24 March 1956. It is probably best remembered for DevonLoch's sudden and inexplicable fall on the final straight, just 40 yards from...
the Communist Party of Great Britain. 24 March – In the Grand National, DevonLoch, owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis...
the run-in when he collapsed yards from the winning post, similar to DevonLoch in 1956 "Aintree 1917 Grand National". The Grand National 1839-1930 by...
racing Champion Jockey in the 1953-54 season and was famous for riding DevonLoch when the horse slipped close to the winning post when leading the 1956...
racing Champion Jockey in the 1953–54 season and was famous for riding DevonLoch when the horse slipped close to the winning post when leading 1956 Grand...
The race was attended by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, whose horse DevonLoch almost won the National in 1956, and Princess Margaret. David Coleman...
"Grand National: DevonLoch's place in history". Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-06-30. Hayler, Will (14 February 2010). "Scars of DevonLoch's Grand National...
former jockey who was closely associated with Aintree. He famously rode DevonLoch in the Grand National, and he was leading the race on the run-in when...
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debate. After this performance Gallagher's campaign was compared to DevonLoch's fall at the winning post in the 1956 Grand National. He was reported...
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