Callum Shepherd（born 1997）is a

Group race Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomp ...

winning British jockey who competes in

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all spor ...

Background

Shepherd was born in Brighton, in 1997, the son of two lawyers. He took part in pony racing, and rode out for trainers during school holidays. He left

Lancing College Lancing College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school) for pupils aged 13–18 in southern England, UK. The school is located in West S ...

after taking his

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

, and became apprenticed to trainer Charlie Hills in

Lambourn Lambourn is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies just north of the M4 Motorway between Swindon and Newbury, and borders Wiltshire to the west and Oxfordshire to the north. After Newmarket it is the largest centre of r ...

. Shepherd's twin brother Laird is a golfer who won

The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship (sometimes referred to as the British Amateur or British Amateur Championship outside the UK) is a golf tournament which has been held annually in the United Kingdom since 1885 except during the two World Wars, and in 19 ...

in 2021.

Racing career

In 2020, Shepherd moved from Lambourn to

Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, 14 miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 14 miles northeast of Cambridge. In 2021, it had a population of 16,772. It is a global ...

, having been retained by owners the Gredley family. That season he rode 77 winners. He had his first opportunity to ride in a Group 1 race and a

British Classic The British Classics are five long-standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season. They are restricted to three-year-old horses and traditionally represent the pinnacle of achievement for racehorses against their ow ...

in the 2021 Oaks on Save A Forest, a 40/1 outsider owned by the Gredley family and trained by

Roger Varian Roger Varian is a British Thoroughbred horse trainer, racehorse trainer, based at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk. Riding career Varian moved to the United States as a teenager and found employment as a work rider at Hollywood Park. On ...

. The pair came fourth, and then went on to win the listed Chalice Stakes at Newmarket the following month. During the winter of 2023/24 Shepherd rode in

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

, where his successes included winning the Bahrain Triple Crown on Isle of Jura for trainer George Scott. In May 2024, he achieved his first victory in a Group race when Seven Questions, trained by Scott, won the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket. The same month, he won the

Lingfield Derby Trial The Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133& ...

on Ambiente Friendly for trainer

James Fanshawe James Fanshawe is a British racehorse trainer. Based at Pegasus Stables in Newmarket, he has saddled 26 Group 1 winners. Although training horses mainly on the flat, he holds a dual licence and trained two winners of the Champion Hurdle. Back ...

and was looking forward to a first ride in the

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

on the same horse but was disappointed when the Gredley owners opted for the more experienced

Robert Havlin Robert Havlin (born December 1973), usually known as Rab Havlin, is a Group 1-winning Scottish jockey, who predominantly rides for the John Gosden stable. His biggest victories to date have been the 2022 Fillies' Mile on Commissioning and the ...

. Ambiente Friendly went on to take second place in the Derby, having started as second favourite. Shepherd secured his first

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...

success in 2024, when he partnered Isle of Jura to victory in the Group 2

Hardwicke Stakes The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), an ...

. In 2025 he won Czech Derby on filly Miss Of Change.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, Callum Living people 1997 births People from East Sussex British jockeys People educated at Lancing College