Grand National first jump, suddenly veered across the leading group at the 23rd, causing them to either stop, refuse or unseat their riders. Racing journalist Lord Oaksey described the resulting pile-up by saying that Popham Down had "cut down the leaders like a row of thistles". Some horses even started running in the wrong direction, back the way they had come. Foinavon, whose owner had such little faith in him that he had travelled to Worcester that day instead, had been lagging some 100 yards behind the leading pack, giving his jockey, John Buckingham, time to steer his mount wide of the
Liam Treadwell Liam Treadwell Liam Treadwell is an English National Hunt jockey. He was born in the West Sussex town of Arundel and attended the local Angmering School. He was the winner of the 2009 Aintree Grand National, having ridden Mon Mome to victory at odds of 100/1. It was only the fifth time a horse at those odds won the race, the most recent being Foinavon in 1967. It was Treadwell's debut in the Grand National, in his first season in jump racing. After his Grand National victory on 4 April 2009, Clare Balding interviewed him and made fun of his