David Shedden
Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
Born in August 1943, north-country National Hunt jockey David Farquhar Shedden was the son of Wetherby trainer Tommy Shedden and began his career as an amateur rider, subsequently turning professional and going on to ride a total of 33 winners.
Born in August 1943, north-country National Hunt jockey David Farquhar Shedden was the son of Wetherby trainer Tommy Shedden and began his career as an amateur rider, subsequently turning professional and going on to ride a total of 33 winners.
He achieved the first of them on his father’s No Knocking in a three-year-old selling hurdle at Nottingham
He achieved the first of them on his father’s No Knocking in a three-year-old selling hurdle at Nottingham
on October 29, 1962. That was his only winner of the season but he made a breakthrough the following term with a score of 14, beginning with two on Herbert Megginson’s juvenile hurdler Valetta. Then came three on handicap hurdler On The Mat, followed by two more at Wetherby’s Easter meeting.
on October 29, 1962. That was his only winner of the season but he made a breakthrough the following term with a score of 14, beginning with two on Herbert Megginson’s juvenile hurdler Valetta. Then came three on handicap hurdler On The Mat, followed by two more at Wetherby’s Easter meeting.
At Rothbury’s annual fixture in April 1964, David won the Simonside Cup, an amateur riders’ maiden hurdle, on a four-year-old making his racecourse debut called Different Class for Yorkshire trainer Dick Curran. With an SP of
At Rothbury’s annual fixture in April 1964, David won the Simonside Cup, an amateur riders’ maiden hurdle, on a four-year-old making his racecourse debut called Different Class for Yorkshire trainer Dick Curran. With an SP of
100/8 he wasn’t greatly fancied that day, yet he came home a comfortable winner. Different Class was subsequently purchased by the famous actor Gregory Peck and trained by Peter Cazalet, and it was for them that he won the 1967 National Hunt Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and finished third under David Mould in the 1968 Grand National.
100/8 he wasn’t greatly fancied that day, yet he came home a comfortable winner. Different Class was subsequently purchased by the famous actor Gregory Peck and trained by Peter Cazalet, and it was for them that he won the 1967 National Hunt Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and finished third under David Mould in the 1968 Grand National.
Later that month, he rode a double at Hexham on his father’s selling hurdler Rapin and Dick
Later that month, he rode a double at Hexham on his father’s selling hurdler Rapin and Dick
Curran’s novice hurdler Seth Adams e He wound up a successful campaign with another double, this time at Sedgefield, winning South Durham Open Hunt Perpetual Challenge Cup Hunters’ Chase on Noel Robinson’s Whittle Hill, and a novices’ hurdle on Walter Easterby’s Limetra, who would later develop into a useful chaser in the ownership of Harry Lane.
Curran’s novice hurdler Seth Adams e He wound up a successful campaign with another double, this time at Sedgefield, winning South Durham Open Hunt Perpetual Challenge Cup Hunters’ Chase on Noel Robinson’s Whittle Hill, and a novices’ hurdle on Walter Easterby’s Limetra, who would later develop into a useful chaser in the ownership of Harry Lane.
It was no surprise that David turned professional at the start of the 1964/65 season and he got off to a brisk start, notching ten winners within five weeks between late September and the end of October, eight of them for Hawick trainer Charlie Bell, including doubles at Hexham and Kelso, and losing his right to claim in the process. He rode another double in February
It was no surprise that David turned professional at the start of the 1964/65 season and he got off to a brisk start, notching ten winners within five weeks between late September and the end of October, eight of them for Hawick trainer Charlie Bell, including doubles at Hexham and Kelso, and losing his right to claim in the process. He rode another double in February
1965, landing both divisions of Kelso’s Crailing Hurdle on the Charlie Bell pair Vittorio and Goshen, finishing the season with a total of 15 winners.
1965, landing both divisions of Kelso’s Crailing Hurdle on the Charlie Bell pair Vittorio and Goshen, finishing the season with a total of 15 winners.
However, the following season was in stark contrast to what had gone before, an injury-bedevilled campaign yielding just two winners, both trained by his father. It finished prematurely when a hurdler he was riding called Mighty Falls at Sedgefield on March 19, 1966, fell and kicked him when struggling to get up. David suffered a broken leg in three places below the knee, rendering him out of action for the remainder of the season.
However, the following season was in stark contrast to what had gone before, an injury-bedevilled campaign yielding just two winners, both trained by his father. It finished prematurely when a hurdler he was riding called Mighty Falls at Sedgefield on March 19, 1966, fell and kicked him when struggling to get up. David suffered a broken leg in three places below the knee, rendering him out of action for the remainder of the season.
He rode just one winner from 45 mounts in the 1966/67 campaign, that being on his father’s two-mile chaser Moment’s Thought at Sedgefield on November 19, 1966.
He rode just one winner from 45 mounts in the 1966/67 campaign, that being on his father’s two-mile chaser Moment’s Thought at Sedgefield on November 19, 1966.
In 1967, David bought a farm, Shipton Grange Farm at Shipton, near Easingwold, and also got married on August 1 that year. Having had two bad falls race-riding, both of them when riding for permit holders, he decided not to take out a jockey’s licence for the next season. He realised that with a wife and farm he could not risk being laid up for weeks. He had always been keen on farming and so decided that that would be the direction his life would take from then on.
In 1967, David bought a farm, Shipton Grange Farm at Shipton, near Easingwold, and also got married on August 1 that year. Having had two bad falls race-riding, both of them when riding for permit holders, he decided not to take out a jockey’s licence for the next season. He realised that with a wife and farm he could not risk being laid up for weeks. He had always been keen on farming and so decided that that would be the direction his life would take from then on.
David Shedden’s winners were, in chronological order:
David Shedden’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. No Knocking, Nottingham, October 29, 1962
1. No Knocking, Nottingham, October 29, 1962
2. Valetta, Sedgefield, September 14, 1963
2. Valetta, Sedgefield, September 14, 1963
3. Valetta, Hexham, September 30, 1963
3. Valetta, Hexham, September 30, 1963
4. On The Mat, Doncaster, November 23, 1963
4. On The Mat, Doncaster, November 23, 1963
5. On The Mat, Southwell, December 16, 1963
5. On The Mat, Southwell, December 16, 1963
6. On The Mat, Newcastle, February 8, 1964
6. On The Mat, Newcastle, February 8, 1964
7. Rapin, Wetherby, March 30, 1964
7. Rapin, Wetherby, March 30, 1964
8. Whimwyn, Wetherby, March 31, 1964f
8. Whimwyn, Wetherby, March 31, 1964f
9. Different Class, Rothbury, April 11, 1964
9. Different Class, Rothbury, April 11, 1964
10. Limetra, Wetherby, April 25, 1964
10. Limetra, Wetherby, April 25, 1964
11. Rapin, Hexham, April 27, 1964
11. Rapin, Hexham, April 27, 1964
12. Seth Adams, April 27, 1964
12. Seth Adams, April 27, 1964
13. Good Times, Market Rasen, May 9, 1964
13. Good Times, Market Rasen, May 9, 1964
14. Whittle Hill, Sedgefield, May 30, 1964
14. Whittle Hill, Sedgefield, May 30, 1964
15. Limetra, Sedgefield, May 30, 1964
15. Limetra, Sedgefield, May 30, 1964
16. Isaac, Market Rasen, September 26, 1964
16. Isaac, Market Rasen, September 26, 1964
17. Brume Wood, Hexham, October 3, 1964
17. Brume Wood, Hexham, October 3, 1964
18. Rantin Robin, Hexham, October 5, 1964
18. Rantin Robin, Hexham, October 5, 1964
19. Jamie Stuart, Hexham, October 5, 1964
19. Jamie Stuart, Hexham, October 5, 1964
20. Brume Wood, Carlisle, October 10, 1964
20. Brume Wood, Carlisle, October 10, 1964
21. Rantin Robin, Carlisle, October 12, 1964
21. Rantin Robin, Carlisle, October 12, 1964
22. Rodassa, Ayr, October 17, 1964
22. Rodassa, Ayr, October 17, 1964
23. Rantin Robin, Kelso, October 24, 1964
23. Rantin Robin, Kelso, October 24, 1964
24. Roaring Twenties, Kelso, October 24, 1964
24. Roaring Twenties, Kelso, October 24, 1964
25. Back Bencher, Kelso, October 31, 1964
25. Back Bencher, Kelso, October 31, 1964
26. Buchan Loon, Haydock Park, November 25, 1964
26. Buchan Loon, Haydock Park, November 25, 1964
27. Vittorio, Kelso, February 27, 1965
27. Vittorio, Kelso, February 27, 1965
28. Goshen, Kelso, February 27, 1965
28. Goshen, Kelso, February 27, 1965
29. Vittorio, Haydock Park, March 13, 1965
29. Vittorio, Haydock Park, March 13, 1965
30. Moment’s Thought, Market Rasen, June 12, 1965
30. Moment’s Thought, Market Rasen, June 12, 1965
31. Moment’s Thought, Catterick, October 30, 1965
31. Moment’s Thought, Catterick, October 30, 1965
32. Highfield Boy, Newcastle, February 5, 1966
32. Highfield Boy, Newcastle, February 5, 1966
33. Moment’s Thought, Sedgefield, November 19, 1966
33. Moment’s Thought, Sedgefield, November 19, 1966