Jonathan Sheppard
Born on Dec. 2, 1940 in Ashwell England, near Newmarket, the son of a 40 year British racing official, Mr. Sheppard attended Eton College before arriving in America in 1961. One of the first people he met, was legendary steeplechase trainer Burley Cocks. For the next nine months, Mr. Sheppard worked at Cocks' farm in Unionville, Pa. After a brief return to England, he spent the next two years riding races for Cocks, and may have won on about 25 of 250 rides. Mr. Sheppard then turned to training, and soon had a string of six horses. One of his initial clients was Mr. George Strawbridge Jr., owner of Augustin Stable, and one of steeplechasing's most successful owners. They have been together for 43 years. Mr. Sheppard has enjoyed great success both with flat and steeplechase runners and is one of only two trainers (the other being Hall of Famer Sidney Watters Jr.) to be able to do so.
