John Shepherd (9 October 1765 - 1848) was a four times British Classic-winning

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

and trainer. He was a pioneering Northern jockey, one of the few of his time to move south to Newmarket, the home of British horse racing and gain a reputation there.

Career

Shepherd was born at Cockhill, near

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

on 9 October 1765. He had an ideal build for a jockey and became an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

at the stables of John Tesseyman at

Moor Monkton Moor Monkton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Nidd and north-west from York city centre. History Moor Monkton is mentioned in the Domesday Book as a small settleme ...

near his home aged only 12. According to some sources he would ride his first race four years later. In others his first race is said to be on a horse called Dusty Miller in an "ever-to-be-remembered race" between Pacolet and Partington in 1784. Having established his reputation as a jockey, he was hired to ride the horses of Richard Savile, the future

Earl of Scarbrough Earl of Scarbrough is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1690 for Richard Lumley, 2nd Viscount Lumley. He is best remembered as one of the Immortal Seven who invited William of Orange to invade England and depose his father-i ...

, and later to train them as well, at stables at Langton Wold in Malton. He would also ride for the Reverend Mr Goodriche. After several years in Malton, he moved south to Newmarket to ride and train for

Lord Foley Baron Foley is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain, both times for members of the same family. The first creation came in 1712 in favour of Thomas Foley, who had earlier represented Stafford in the House of Co ...

, for which he was paid an annual retainer of £200. It was for Foley that he would have his single success in the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

, on

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in 1806, winning by a head from a field of twelve. A further move would see him ride for Sir M M Sykes. He would also ride for Henry Peirse and Sir Frank Standish. He would twice win the

St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

for Gilbert Crompton - on Lounger in 1797 and

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in 1801 - and once, aged nearly 50, for the

Duke of Hamilton Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sco ...

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in 1814. Other horses on which he made his name included Cammillus, Magistrate, Prime Minister, Sir Malagigi, Rosetta, Rosanne, Reveller, Lisette, Scancalaldi, Epperston, Cambyses and Consul.

Riding style and character

His specialism was four mile heats, and he was regarded as the best of his generation at judging pace in these races. His skill was such that it dispelled the prejudice normally shown by the Newmarket establishment to jockeys from the north. Indeed, with other Yorkshire jockeys

John Mangle John Mangle was an English flat racing jockey and trainer, who was five time winning rider in the St Leger Stakes. He served his riding apprenticeship with Isaac Cape in Middleham, North Yorkshire, before joining John Hoyle's stable. He mar ...

and

John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...

, it is said he "shone". He was also regarded as an honest and dependable jockey.

Personal life

In his later years, in the late 1830s, Shepherd ran a

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in Malton. He received a pension from the Bentinck Benevolent Fund (the first person to do so) as a result of the years spent in the employ of the Earl of Scarbrough. Despite this, he died in 1848 in poverty, with a large family having swallowed up his savings.

Major wins

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

- ''

(1806)'' *

St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

- (3) - '' Lounger (1797)'', ''

(1801)'', ''

(1814)''

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, John 1765 births 1848 deaths English jockeys