Eva Askquith (19051985), at times misspelt as Ashquith or Asquith, was a pioneering British female

speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...

motorcycle racer in the three seasons from 1928 and 1930 when female riders were allowed race speedway in Britain. She was one of only four British female speedway riders at this time and also raced internationally.

Early life and early motorcycle trail racing

Born in 1905 in

Bedale Bedale ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the district of Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, it is north of Leeds, south-west of Middlesbrough and south-west of the county town of ...

in North Yorkshire, Askquith was daughter of Charlie Askquith, a butcher. Some sources suggest she was a

despatch rider A despatch rider (or dispatch) is a military messenger, mounted on horse or motorcycle (and occasionally in Egypt during World War I, on camels). In the UK 'despatch rider' is also a term used for a motorcycle courier. Despatch riders were use ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

but this seems unlikely given she was 13 years of age when war ended in 1918. This confusion may have arisen as she served as a

for the

Auxiliary Fire Service The Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) was first formed in 1938 in Great Britain as part of the Civil Defence Service. Its role was to supplement the work of brigades at local level. The Auxiliary Fire Service and the local brigades were superseded i ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In the early 1920s, Askquith was a keen, competitive and talented horse rider from an early age, winning cups for riding in local shows and at point-to-point events including the

Derby in 1923. These skills may have eased her transition into motorcycle racing, when she took it up in the mid-1920s. Around 1926, Askquith acquired a small 250cc

New Imperial New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that emplo ...

motorcycle for £3 with a friend but never got to ride it as the motorcycle caught fire and was destroyed as her friend rode it around a field. In 1926, Askquith bought her own motorcycle and in 1927 she entered the notorious and gruelling Scott Trial in nearby

Swaledale Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales (valleys) in Yorkshire Dales National Park, located in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire. Geographical overview Swaledale runs ...

- famous for being the largest one-day trial in the country - on an AJS ''TT Special''. Just completing this gruelling local event was an achievement and Askquith went on to complete the Scottish six-day trial, winning a competitor's medal awarded only to those who finished. She also came second in a motorcycle trial from York to Edinburgh and back, which had to be completed in 24 hours or less. In February 1928, Askquith was one of only four female riders (up from none the previous year) to ride the £200 100-mile reliability trial organised by Leeds Motor Club but not one of the 100 solo riders got through the muddy trial with a clean sheet, Askquith and the three other female riders included. By June 1928, Askquith had acquired a new motorcycle, a

Velocette Velocette is a line of motorcycles made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during i ...

, which was better suited to the trails she was competing in and used it to compete on grass courts and on the special hill runs at Post Hill and Dalton Bank. Askquith did not make the finals of the Dalton Bank hill climb but did win the Ladies Trophy for the fastest time in the hilltop race at Post Hill. In August 1928, Askquith defeated Irish motorcycle champion

Fay Taylour Fay Taylour (5 April 1904 – 2 August 1983), known as Flying Fay, was an Irish motorcyclist in the late 1920s and a champion speedway rider. She switched to racing cars in 1931. She was interned as a fascist during the Second World War. Afte ...

at Rochdale grass track.

Speedway racing

In October 1928 just as the British speedway calendar was coming to a close, Askquith made the switch to speedway motorcycle racing, competing on outdoor circuits with dirt and grass tracks. Her main competition was Irish motorcycle champion

, with whom she had raced previously in hill climbs and grass tracks. Askquith first competed at the new Leeds speedway track, where she won two heats in junior handicap with the prize money enabling to buy a

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DT 500. In the 1929 and 1930 seasons, Askquith raced at Wembley and also travelled the world to win a clutch of cups and medals against competition from top male riders. In 1929, Askquith travelled to Copenhagen to race at the dirt track of Roskildevej before over 10,000 spectators. Askquith also raced internationally in South Africa, where she was the first female dirt track rider in South Africa and was known as "the Yorkshire Rose." Between the 1929 and 1930 racing seasons, Ackquith departed on a world tour to compete on three continents - first Australia, then America, and concluding with speedway races in Europe in Italy and Spain. In April 1930 season, it was announced that women would not be allowed to compete in speedway racing in Britain due to concerns about women's safety and the "unladylike" nature of speedway racing. Nonetheless Askquith continued racing internationally including in Spain, where she once took a picador as pillion passenger around the ring pursued by a bull and where she was known simply as "Miss Eva."

Later life and legacy

During the

, Askquith served as a

for the

and was appointed first engineer of the auxiliary petrol pump, due to her pre-war knowledge of the petrol engine. Askquith was injured while helping her father, Charlie Askquith, to deliver meat in his van and never returned to motorcycle racing, choosing to focus on gardening instead. Askquith competed in gardening with the same grit and determination she had shown in speedway - she won numerous medals awarded by the National Dahlia Society and the National Vegetable Society and entered many local horticultural shows. In 1968, Askquith gave a cup to the Bedale Gardening Society to be awarded annually to the winner of monthly points competitions. Askquith died in 1985, just one day short of her 80th birthday; she was unmarried and had no children. Askquith is commemorated on an art panel on the Old Assembly Rooms in her home town of

and in a display at Bedale Museum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Askquith, Eva 1905 births 1985 deaths People from Bedale Irish sportswomen British motorcycle racers Female motorcycle racers British speedway riders Expatriate speedway riders Racing drivers from Yorkshire