William Sheppard (trainer)

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William Sheppard (1855 – 24 January 1932) was a long-serving racehorse trainer in South Australia. Born in Essex to a gamekeeper, he started as a nine-year-old apprentice with a trainer who raced dogs and horses, later working with top English stables and helping to train the Derby winner Cremorne. He moved among several English trainers before being hired by South Australian breeder William Blackler in 1874 to bring horses to Australia. He worked for Blackler at Fulham Park Stud at The Reedbeds for three years, then returned to England briefly before coming back to Adelaide.

Back in Australia, Sheppard trained privately for Charles L. Taylor and achieved early success with Lightfoot, winner of the 1879 Great Eastern Steeplechase and other hurdle races. He then worked for Harry Leary and later ran as a public trainer at the Britannia Hotel. He spent a period as a private trainer for Thomas or W. Cowan at the Parkside Hotel, and for Seth Ferry at Mitcham and Gawler, where he trained about 50 winners, including Sir Ewan, who won three Hunt Club Cups in a row. He was briefly head trainer for Gerald Buckley at Narrapumelap Estate in Victoria but soon returned to Adelaide. He also trained privately for Tom Jordan at Jordan Park, Edwardstown, before operating as a public trainer again from the Britannia Hotel in Norwood for about ten years.

Around 1904 his family moved to Stacey Street (now Stacey Street) in Norwood, where he called the property Corizann Lodge. He bought a bay mare for a small sum that year, named Corizann, which went on to help him win hundreds of pounds. Notable clients around this time included John Rowan of Warrnambool and Mount Gambier and Frederick W. Allen of Edithburgh. The last horse he trained was the hurdler Insult, who held two state records. Over about 60 years he trained hundreds of winners, estimated at 500–600 in total. He died of pneumonia after a period of illness; he had only once been called before the stewards and was found blameless.

He was survived by two sons; his widow died six months later. His son Les Sheppard continued training at the family property in Stacey Street, Norwood, and became known as a “clocker,” writing for The News under the byline “Lord Setay.” William Sheppard married Annie Hughes in 1883 and lived at Corizann Lodge, 4 Stacey Street, Norwood. A lane beside his property, Sheppards Lane, was named for him.