Jockeypedia - Durrans Sheard

Durrans Sheard

Durrans Sheard was a north-country jockey who enjoyed a fair measure of success for a short time in the second half of the nineteenth century, riding a total of 85 winners between 1872 and 1881.

He rode his first winner on the five-year-old Callipoedia in the six-furlong Town Plate at Newcastle on Tuesday 15 October 1872, beating The Sultan by four lengths.

The fog was so thick during the whole of the afternoon that at no period could the horses be seen two hundred yards from the stand.

Saturday, October 19, 1872. He won on Callipoedia again four days later in the Harewood Plate at Northallerton, carrying 8st 7lb, beating a dozen rivals. Following the race there was an objection to the winner on grounds of the jockey having been assisted by the trainer to carry the saddle back to weigh in. However, the circumstances resulted in the objection being overruled due to the diminutive size of the jockey, who weighed just 3st 10lb, being required to carry a saddle with almost 5 stone of dead weight.

Durrans' two successes on Callipoedia were his only wins in 1872.

Durrans achieved his biggest success on Last Word in the 1873 Manchester Autumn Cup. He rode a second winner later that day when Rosanna took the Juvenile Stakes.

He came third in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap aboard Rock Rose on 2 August but was reported to the stewards for not trying and was initially suspended for the rest of the year. However, either the suspension may have subsequently been quashed or there might have been a delay in examining the case, for he continued to ride winners after that, the last being on 8 September.

Durrans enjoyed a good season in 1875 with 22 wins including trebles Worcester (above) on 8 July and at Paisley on 13 August. On the latter occasion he won consecutive races on Roderick Dhu, then finished third on him later in the afternoon.

Durrans again rode 22 winners in 1876 but never again reached those totals.

He rode what proved to be his last winner on Denzil Place, who carried 10st 7lb to victory in the Wansbeck Welter Handicap Plate at Morpeth on 19 September 1881. The horse was owned by the notorious George Abington Baird, who rode as ‘Mr Abington’. A very talented amateur rider who was taught by no less a person than Fred Arhcer, Baird’s wayward lifestyle saw him squander a £3 million fortune bequeathed by his father, surrounding himself with lowlife and the roughest of cliques, resulting in his early death at the age of 32.

As for Durrans Sheard, he died in Huddersfield on 13 July 1887.