Nickie Sheppard, who – as well as training a handful of pointers at her Herefordshire yard, where husband Matt holds a rules licence – is joint-secretary of the West Mercia Area, has long been one of the key drivers behind the success of point-to-pointing in what used to be known as the West Midlands. Nickie and Matt both rode successfully in their day, the latter was named trainer of the pointers before being one of the first keepers to turn professional, and the couple have strong views on how to maintain the momentum of racing between the flags. Jake Exelby Zoomed with them the other day and this is what they had to say.
How did you get into point-to-pointing in the first place?
(Nickie) My Dad, Roger Guilding, rode in points and – when I left school – it was eventing or racing and the latter was easier! My first ride was Pacify, who had been useful for Stan Mellor, when I was 16. At the start, I’d let go of the reins and he’d do the rest. My career progressed slowly – we had lots of maidens and Dad wouldn’t put girls on them, so I only had about half a dozen rides a year. I didn’t ride my first winner – Deer Fencer at Barbury in 1994 – for ten years. (Matt interjects). It was our first year training at Eastnor and we had a double that day, as I trained and rode Knowing to win at Upton-on-Severn.
Nickie on Deer Fencer at Barbury
(Matt) I’m from Brecon originally, where my father was Clerk of the Course at Llanfrynach. I had my first ride on my sixteenth birthday, at a postponed meeting in midweek – I’d been to school in the morning and fell off Hecho when he refused at the open ditch in the afternoon! My first winner was Light Snacks in the Brecon Members in 1985 – I went to agricultural college for a year, but Dad talked me out of being a farmer and I went to work for Mercy Rimell for three years, winning the John Corbet Cup on Deep Prospect in 1988.
Matt on Deep Prospect (near side)
How many winners did you each ride?
(Nickie) Only six, but most of them on good horses. As well as Deer Fencer, I won on Dusky Day and Simple Pleasure for Clive Hitchings.
Nickie on Dusky Day (yellow and blue) at Larkhill
(Matt) 15 – 11 in points and four in Hunter Chases, including Master Eryl’s first, at Doncaster in 1990. That was pretty special.
How did the move from riding to training come about?
(Nickie) I’d help train the family pointers at Forthampton, where Dad farmed, since I left school. When Matt took out a licence in 1996, we were one of the first yards to split our operation. It was a natural progression – we only train, we don’t farm, so we wanted to maximise our facilities. It was also important not to lose our pointing connections, as pointing owners are your friends as well.
Who's inspired you most in the world of pointing?
(Nickie) My parents, who achieved a lot with their homebreds.
Nickie's father Roger Guilding on the prolific Touch Of Tammy
Which jockeys do you most admire? Why?
(Nickie) I raced against Alison Dare a lot – she was exceptional. Of those who’ve ridden for us, Julian Pritchard for his strike rate alone.
Julian Pritchard - great strike rate (photo: Neale Blackburn)
(Matt) It’s difficult to say, as by my calculations, we’ve had 163 pointing winners ridden by 23 different jockeys!
(I ask about Stan, Nickie and Matt’s professional jockey son who had his best season last year and won the Welsh Grand National).
(Nickie) I’m dead chuffed for him, as he’s very dedicated. He’s quite tall and works hard on his weight. He’s lucky to be with Tom Lacey, who has some high-class horses coming through.
Stan after his Welsh Grand National win on Iwilldoit
Who have been the best horses you’ve trained?
(Nickie) Upton Adventure (leading horse in 2004). She was just 16 hands and didn’t look like a racehorse. Not only did she look like a pony, she rode like a pony – even point-to-point enthusiasts would say so. All the kids would ride her at home and, in a race, she’d just go to sleep until you said “go”! She was a complete freak.
Nickie and Upton Adventure
(Matt) Master Eryl had class but was unpredictable and could be wayward. When he won over two miles at Ludlow, one of the horses he beat was former champion hurdler Celtic Shot!
Nickie hunting Master Eryl
Which are your favourite courses? Why?
(Nickie) I love galloping tracks, where you can get a young horse balanced. Places like Didmarton, Upton-on-Severn and Woodford. In particular Chaddesley Corbett, which has good ground, good fences and you have to ride a race.
(Matt) Upton-on-Severn, where I rode two doubles.
Why do you love pointing?
(Nickie) It’s friendly. When you’re chatting, picnicking and drinking at the car boot or the lorry, there’s no rush. You meet people in the declarations tent and weighing room and talk to everyone in the paddock, whether it’s the favourite or a novice rider. We’re all in competition, but we’re all friends.
(Matt) While it costs a huge amount to put on a meeting, the rewards are peanuts, so it’s the closest thing there is to amateur sport.
What have been the highlights of your time in the sport?
(Matt) Giving Stan a leg-up and a good education in points and winning with Upton Adventure – multiple winners are a great achievement.
(Nickie) Helping get the sport going again after Covid.
What changes have you seen during your time? For better, for worse?
(Nickie) For the worse, courses closing due to Covid – once you lose a course, it’s usually gone for good. We need to find a way to keep the less successful meetings going and hope things pick-up. The loss of horses is sad, but how do you bring in new owners? Are syndicates the answer?
For the better, the standard of not just riding, but fitness and training is better. A bit of professionalism helps everything – from the course to the fitness of horses. Take someone like Jim Squires – he’s producing consistent fences across the West Mercia area, which helps people ride better.
(Matt) The problem now is that it’s harder to win a point than a race under rules. If you’re rated 100 and have won a low grade Handicap, you have to race in Opens and you wouldn’t see the way the others go! Regarding sale prices, I don’t believe we have the same mindset as in Ireland – people don’t bid as much for English pointers but I’m not sure what the answer is. I do know that if you have four and five year old maidens (Nickie and Matt tend not to), you need serious facilities.
As a dual yard, what do you think about professional trainers running horses in points?
(Matt) I don’t have a problem with it, obviously! It keeps the numbers up. When I started, I was riding against steelworkers and coal miners – now everyone wants to be a jockey. I think Fergal O’Brien (who ran eight horses in points last season, mostly ridden by novices) is using it as a carrot to retain staff by giving them rides.
(Nickie) Fergal’s partner Sally Randell does jockey coaching too. If your parents aren’t horsey and you work in a yard, you need a chance and you can go out on a schoolmaster – the sort of horse farming families would have bought. You need professional help to get you past the post safely, and what else do you do with horses coming to the end of their career under rules? It gives another life for the horse, a way out for its owner and an opportunity for a young rider.
What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?
(Nickie) I’d give Peter Wright all the encouragement he wants to stay put! He’s done a great job in difficult times.
(Matt, somewhat controversially!) I’d drill into owners, trainers and riders that they shouldn’t complain about entry fees – unless they’re on a point-to-point committee, they don’t understand how much it costs to put on a meeting. Indeed, you could make the entry fee £200 and put £150 back into the prize money. Hunts can’t afford to put on a meeting and just break even or run at a loss. And if people just go to the point-to-point and don’t support other hunt events, that won’t keep the show going.
With horse numbers at their lowest ever level, what are your concerns about the future?
(Nickie) My main concern is about novice riders who don’t have the chance to get outside rides. It’s the top jockeys associated with the big yards who get the mounts and we lose a lot of jockeys between novice and experienced status, as well as the ones that are good enough to turn conditional.
What reasons do we have to be optimistic?
(Nickie) We’ve survived Covid and still have over 140 meetings, so we need to build on what we’ve got. Everyone involved in the sport is passionate about it and we need to keep that going.
(Matt) It’s hard to get young people involved, but Stan helps me put up the course at Maisemore Park and brings other jockeys with him. I know Paul Nicholls does the same at his local meeting.
What are your plans for next season?
(Nickie) I’ll have five pointers and the aim is to get them all past the post in front, and to give our two novice riders – Ivor Herbert and Fred Philipson-Stow – their first winners. I’m a good loser but I always want to win. No Dice is a good prospect. He won at Eyton-on-Severn and is part-owned by jockey Milo Herbert and Jim Squires and his partner Judith Healey, who does a great picnic.
Jim Squires (second left) and Judith Healey (centre) with Milo Herbert after No Dice won
What are your non-horsey hobbies?
(Nickie) Our day job is also our lifestyle. We just have seven days off in June and went to North Wales this year. But we’re lucky to have this day job and Eastnor is a lovely place to train with its grass and natural sand gallops.
Who else should I do one of these features on?
(Nickie) Jim Squires, who does so much for the sport.
Tell me something I wouldn't know from asking these questions?
(Matt) I’ve written a book about my life in racing. I wanted to call it Slow Two Miler but it’ll probably end up as Real Horse Racing and Other Revelations. I’ve got a publisher, but can’t release it until a couple of people die, as I use real names!