Frank Lyall

1883 - 1960

Born in Lincoln on October 28, 1883, Frank Gerald Lyall was the eldest of five sons of Joseph Lyall (1956-1939), all of whom became jump jockeys.

Frank was born to the saddle and was out hunting with his local pack when nine years old. At ten he was winning pony races all over England. He was almost unbeatable in show-jumping competitions with his horses Topthorn and Snowdrop.

He was still only aged ten when having his first ride in public, finishing unplaced on a two-year-old named Eheu, trained by his father and carrying 6st 4lb, at Doncaster on September 11, 1894.

Aged 14, he had his first two rides under National Hunt rules at Leicester on December 12, 1897, finishing unplaced on Bantam in the Quorn Hunt Steeplechase and on Romany Lass in the Birstall Selling Handicap Chase.

He achieved his first success under NH rules aboard On Trial in a selling chase at the South Wold Hunt fixture at Horncastle on March 9, 1899.

Frank enjoyed his most successful year numerically in 1903 with 33 winners, placing him seventh in that year’s National Hunt jockeys’ table.

When not race riding, he spent much of his time in the hunting field, riding horses for the major studs at Melton, particularly the difficult ones who required educating.

Frank finished second in the 1912 Grand National on Bloodstone, beaten six lengths by Jerry M. He rode in six Grand Nationals altogether. His mounts were:

1907: Ravenscliffe (fourth)

1910: Albuera (fell)

1912: Bloodstone (second)

1913: Bloodstone (fell)

1914: Bloodstone (ran out)

1915: Balscadden (sixth, after remounting)

He was perhaps unlucky not to win a race over the Grand National fences. Besides his second-place finish on Bloodstone, he was placed twice in the Becher Chase, finishing third on Dwarf II In 1912 and runner-up on Bloodstone In 1913. He also came third in the 1911 Stanley Chase on the 1908 Grand National winner Rubio, albeit a distant last of three finishers after remounting.

Despite his lack of success at Aintree, Frank achieved a measure of compensation for Bloodstone’s Grand National defeat of 1912 when winning the Welsh Grand National at Cardiff the following month on Mr Charles Bower-Ismay’s five-year-old Jacobus, trained by Tom Coulthwaite.

Jacobus outjumped his five rivals despite the fact that he was running in a steeplechase for the first time, all his previous races having been over hurdles. Frank’s brother, George Lyall, finished third on Quinton.

Tom Coulthwaite had by then trained two Grand National winners in Eremon (1907) and Jenkinstown (1910). However, in 1913 the stewards of the National Hunt Committee enquired into the running of Jacobus at Birmingham and Bloodstone at Hurst Park. They were not satisfied with the explanation they were given as to the horses’ inconsistent form and Coulthwaite was warned off. His licence was reinstated in 1920 and he went on to train a third Grand National winner in Grakle (1931), ridden by another of Frank’s brothers, Bob Lyall.

Frank retired from the saddle on a winning note when bringing 5-4 favourite Dernish home 12 lengths clear in the Oakamoor Selling Chase at Uttoxeter on May 10, 1920. He rode exactly 250 winners over jumps during his career.

Frank Lyall died in Leicester in 1960, aged 76.