‘We only train on grass gallops,’ Nicola ‘Nicky’ Sheppard describes their method of training on the Eastnor Estate, which is located on the southerly edge of the Malvern Hills, near Ledbury in Herefordshire. Nicky trains point-to-pointers and husband Matthew trains under Rules in the deer park, which they share with a herd of red deer, 4x4s from Land Rover Experience, summer campers and an obelisk. ‘It's an old-fashioned way of training and natural. When a couple of the gallops get very wet, we ride up the banks and the horses have to work at it. Halfway up, they could hit a brick wall and don't have the bounce of an all-weather to help them the rest of the way. Virtually all other trainers have an all-weather and some have the option of using grass but they don't use grass daily as we do.’
Yet, there's nothing archaic about the results produced by this husband-and-wife team, clocking up nearly two hundred winners so far between the flags and in hunter chases.
Nicky, 59, was born to horsey parents, Roger and Jackie Guilding, in Forthampton, Gloucestershire. Roger rode prolifically between the flags, and was associated with successful racehorses at the time like Sunarise, Master Tammy and Touch of Tammy. So, it was inevitable that Nicky spent a childhood hunting and competing in all Pony Club activities, most particularly showjumping and eventing. Racing eventually took over and she rode her first winner on Deer Fencer at Barbury in 1994. ‘My parents were farmers and bred lots of their own racehorses but, by the time I came along, they tended to buy horses in. Horses and racing are in my blood, in the system and has always been a way of life. It was a natural progression to learn to ride,’ says Nicky. ‘I left school and started training straight away, under the guidance of my parents to begin with, but did spend time with Jessie Harrington in Ireland and Martyn Meade.’
The winners began when Nicky rode that victory on Deer Fencer and Matt won on Knowing at Upton-upon-Severn on the same day. Nicky’s early flag bearers included Cruise A Hoop, Stag Fight and Master Eryl, who was a character and a particular favourite of Nicky’s. There was also Upton Adventure (‘Rita’), who won twenty-six of her fifty-one starts and it would’ve been more had foot and mouth disease not halted all ‘pointing in early 2001. Peter Corbett’s Upton Adventure was Nicky’s first Leading Horse in 2004, followed by Joan Hitchings’ Grace A Vous Enki twenty years later.
Upton Adventure, Nicky recalls, was ‘very little in size but had such a massive heart. People would say she can’t be the one who’s won all those races.’ Yet, Nicky looks forward: ‘That was then and now, as ever, if they win then great but even if they get beaten, when they tried their best, that’s all you want.’
The winners, however, remain a highlight. ‘There’s the winners at Cheltenham as well as in point-to-points,’ explains Nicky. ‘But the most satisfying is training a horse for my son to win on, because it's that blood connection and family.’
Nicky with Stan and daughter-in-law Channon, winning connections of Grace A Vous Enki and parents of the groom last summer
The aforementioned son is Stan Sheppard, 25, a top-class National Hunt jockey, also based in Hereford. Highlights of his career so far, which started off as a conditional at Paul Nicholls’, include 2021 Welsh Grand National on Iwilldoit, the Welsh Champion Hurdle in ’21 and the Betfair Hurdle in ’22 on Glory And Fortune and the William Hill Handicap Chase at the ’24 Aintree Festival on Cruz Control.
‘Do you have a favourite jockey?’ I ask.
‘Stan!’ Nicky laughs. ‘I try not to have favourites because some jockeys get on better with some horses than others.’
‘What is it like watching Stan riding in races?’ Nicky is thoughtful, her answer is half of a mother and half of a racehorse trainer: ‘He is attached to Tom Lacey’s stable and rides mostly for him. I know he's broken in most of those horses and knows them inside out so I find it easier watching Stan riding Tom’s then I do a spare, excluding his dad’s runners! I can tell from his body language if he's sitting comfortably or not.’
Back to ‘pointing, Nicky reflects that her favourite course was Upton-upon-Severn, which has sadly been defunct for many years. ‘I do love Chaddesley Corbett and Didmarton, and Larkhill has been good for us in recent seasons.’ Experiencing the professional side through hunter chases and Matt’s runners, Nicky says that how racecourses look after owners has vastly improved: ‘We like Chepstow, Bangor and Ludlow – if I had to say somewhere that isn't Cheltenham, which is a different league. Yet, saying that, local racecourses have more atmosphere and aren't as commercial as Cheltenham. Bangor is brilliant at looking after the owners whereas Ludlow is attended by very much a tweed county type of person. Matt got well looked after at Hereford when he launched his book last month.’
Flitting again to the subject of Chaddesley Corbett, Nicky says, ‘I love Lady Dudley Cup day and would love to win the race itself.’ Grace A Vous Enki, formally trained by Paul Nicholls, won the prestigious Coronation Cup at Larkhill last season, dead heating with Regatta De Blanc, one of his six victories that earned him the Leading Horse. ‘Yet, the Lady Dudley Cup has a lot of history to it.’
Last season, a raid into the Scottish Borders saw Nicky win the big hunter chase at Kelso with Yippee Ki Yay, adding to his victory at Exeter in March. She then scored much closer to home when A Jet Of Our Own won the two miler at the Cheltenham evening meeting. ‘It's doesn’t have to be Cheltenham, I’d take any hunter chase,’ says Nicky. ‘Yet, Cheltenham was a great result for a local lad from a farming family, all his mates were there, his father's mates were there and our mates were there.’
‘It’s about winning the race for the right people rather than simply just a race,’ Nicky sums up.
During these uncertain times for horseracing, Nicky rationalises the future of ‘pointing from a hopeful angle: ‘Point-to-pointing and hunting are very closely linked so as long as there's hunting, there will be point-to-pointing. If hunting was stopped through government legislation, some of the point-to-point courses would try and run club amateur meetings. Places like Chaddesley Corbett and Larkhill, that have more than one meeting per season, have space for more than one track so they can save the ground and hold club meetings. I hope that this grassroots level could exist in such a way.’
In recent years, despite the struggles and closures of many courses, ‘pointing has continued to evolve. ‘The whole programme has changed a lot. People now produce young horses to go to the sales as four-year-olds. Therefore, at certain times of the year, maiden races are so much hotter with well-bred youngsters being produced just to go to the sales. Novice riders’ races give the young jockeys a chance without being
out ridden by the more experienced jockeys and, of course, there are mares’ only races.’
As prize money is the cross to bear under Rules, Nicky suggests the same for between the flags. ‘I’d like point-to-points to have more prize money but, in order to do that, they’d have to have more sponsorship. Training fees have gone up for the cost of living, transport to the races has gone up, the lad or girl needs to be paid a Saturday or Sunday – but inevitably it's mostly a Sunday rate, therefore prize money needs to go up despite it being an amateur sport. If you've got a sponsor who’s willing, it ought to be more than the three to five hundred pounds it is now.’
Nicky has been a long-term advocate of pony racing. She’s the Point-to-Point Secretaries Association (PPSA) representative on the Pony Racing Authority’s board. In addition to giving young amateurs – and some older ones too – the chance to ride in point-to-points, she is keen on giving rookie grooms a first step onto the racing ladder. ‘If you don't have anything at the bottom then you won't have anything at the top,’ explains Nicky. ‘You don't have to have to be the brightest at school but you can have natural ability on a horse. Pony racing has opened up a lot of doors for kids who show they can ride, have good balance and a brain on timing of the race. So many professional jockeys have been able to shine earlier because of starting off through pony racing. With point-to-pointing, if mum and dad can buy a horse, you want a safe one to begin with and then progress from there.’
This derives from Nicky’s personal experience. Stan used pony racing and ‘pointing as stepping stones to become the professional jockey he is today.
Nicky and her beloved hunting (photo credits: Angie Lock) and Top Trainer at Larkhill
To finish off, I asked Nicky what she loves the most about ‘pointing. Without indecision, she answers, ‘Point-to pointing needs to be commercial to make money but I love the close involvement between the horses and their owners. They're at the lorry before their horse goes to the paddock and then win, lose or whatever, everyone meets back at the lorry to have a drink. It is this close involvement that makes it special, and it's not segregated like you are under Rules.’
After all, the sport of point-to-pointing, its people and horses, are in Nicky’s blood and heart, with a measure of hunting and a bit of socialising tossed into the mix. With the likes of Nicky Sheppard endeavouring to secure the future of ‘pointing suggests the amateur division of racing might have a brighter future after all.
A Few for Fun
Best racing party you've attended: When Julian Pritchard was champion point-to-point jockey, we had a big party in the local pub. Well, we actually had a few parties over the following few weeks. Again, Julian was a local farmer's son who’d made good, worked hard and travelled the country for rides like any good lad. With any local lad, their riding career always has that bit more of a following.
Best non-racing party you attended: Stan and Channon's wedding.
Favourite pub: The Duke of York is a mile down the road so that tends to be our local. We have supported Corse Lawn House Hotel a lot over the years – it's very relaxed. But, nowadays, we tend not to go too far away, because we just want to get home to bed. (Early mornings means early night!)
Favourite meal: I do like a steak.
Favourite drink: Gin and bitter lemon.
Favourite snack: Chocolate.
Favourite holiday: Two years ago, we had a really nice holiday after bidding on an online auction for a villa in the South of France. It housed twelve people so quite a gang of us went. Basically, I like anywhere in the sun to get rid of all the aches and pains.
Favourite TV programme: I sometimes have Death in Paradise on in the background.
Other hobbies: With going hunting and racing, I have little time for anything else.
Hopes and dreams for the future: I'm pretty broken as it is but I'd like to continue to stay in one piece. And, for us just to carry on earning a living where we are because we like where we live. We train for some lovely people, have some lovely horses in and as long as the mind and the body are willing, I just want to carry on training.
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