Career
Lively began his horse racing career aboard American Quarter Horses at small tracks in his native Oklahoma. He had been riding for eleven years when he began receiving nationwide attention in 1979 for riding Elocutionist to victory in the Arkansas Derby for trainer Paul Adwell and owner Gene Cashman. Swelling in Elocutionist"s right front leg kept Lively and his horse out of the third leg of the Triple Crown series, the Belmont Stakes.
Lively"s daughter Patrice was married to Hall of Fame jockey, Mike Smith.