Andy Frank

(1934 - 1979)

Andy Frank was one of the leading amateur riders of his day. He twice won the United Hunts’ Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting and also won Stratford’s Final Champion Hunter Chase on Baulking Green.

Andrew Frank was born on May 26, 1934, the son of Harry Frank, the breeder of Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Pas Seul. The first good horse he owned was China Clipper II trained by Bob Turnell, who gave him his first victory under National Hunt rules when winning at Windsor on January 7, 1956. That same horse then gave his owner-rider an even greater thrill when winning the Lord Stalbridge Memorial Gold Cup at Wincanton the next month.

Andy took out a trainer’s permit in 1957, based at Quelfurlong Farm, near Malmesbury, in Wiltshire. On Easter Monday 1958 he won a Plumpton novices’ chase on Bob Turnell’s Egbert then won the Lavington Challenge Cup Chase on him at Fontwell’s Whit Monday fixture.

He also rode Mr. W. J. A. Shepherd’s good hunter chaser Chaos, on whom he won seven times,

notably the 1961 United Hunts’ Challenge Cup Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting.

He rode top-flight hunter chaser Baulking Green in six races, winning four of them. The first of those came in the Final Champion Hunters’ Chase for the Horse and Hound Challenge Cup at Stratford on the last day of the 1962/63 season. Andy also won the very last race of the campaign on Tarakee, giving him a double on the day and a score of five winners for the season.

The following season, 1963/64, Andy won three hunter chases in a row on Baulking Green, namely the Foxhill Cup at Newbury, the United Hunts’ Challenge Cup at Cheltenham, and the Pat Ruthven and Guy Nixon Gold Memorial Vase at Wincanton on Easter Monday.

He was married to show jumper/amateur rider Bertie Hill’s sister. Ivy, who owned a number of good point-to-pointers. One of those, Far East II gave Andy what was to be his final success under National Hunt rules when winning the Clive Hunters’ Challenge Cup Chase at Cheltenham on April 9, 1964.

Sadly, a serious riding accident finished Andy’s racing career and left him partially paralysed. In addition to his 22 winners under National Hunt rules, he had ridden more than 30 in point-to-points. He died, aged only 45, in July 1979.

Andy Frank’s winners under National Hunt rules were:

1. China Clipper II, Windsor, January 7, 1956

2. China Clipper II, Wincanton, February 9, 1956

3. Egbert, Plumpton, April 7, 1958

4. Egbert, Fontwell Park, May 26, 1958

5. Chaos, Chepstow, April 2, 1960

6. Chaos, Chepstow, April 18, 1960

7. Chaos, Cheltenham, March 8, 1961 (right)

8. Chaos, Wincanton, April 20, 1961

9. Master Tony, Folkestone, April 24, 1961

10. Chaos, Chepstow, February 17, 1962

11. Well Spoke, Taunton, April 12, 1962

12. Chaos, May Stratford-on-Avon, May 10, 1962

13. Proper Limmer, Newton Abbot, August 16, 1962

14. Chaos, Chepstow, April 15, 1963

15. Young Jerry, Devon & Exeter, June 1, 1963

16. Baulking Green, Stratford-on-Avon, June 8, 1963

17. Tarakee, Stratford-on-Avon, June 8, 1963

18. Baulking Green, Newbury, February 29, 1964

19. Baulking Green, Cheltenham, March 6, 1964

20. Aerial III, Taunton, March 14, 1964

21. Baulking Green, Wincanton, March 30, 1964

22. Far East II, Cheltenham, April 9, 1964