After years as one of the top names in Ontario harness racing, Stratford, P.E.I. native Patrick Shepherd admits there is no place like home.
The 30-year-old is heading East this weekend with plans of reigniting his catch-driving career while making his name available to trainers at both Red Shores tracks while working during the day at Windemere Farms in Springvale, P.E.I.
“After a while the grind of Ontario, it just gets to you,” said Shepherd on Thursday. “I’m really excited to be coming home for a while, spend time with my family and especially my grandmother. My kids are staying in Ontario with their mom and I’m going to miss them and my girlfriend like crazy, but I’ve battled some serious personal issues and this is what I need to do.”
A former top percentage trainer in Canada, Shepherd had been crowned top trainer at Flamboro Downs in Dundas, Ont. multiple times and was a perennial name on the top 10 stats list across the nation for conditioners between 2013 and 2020. He also had a brief stint earlier in his career as a full-time catch-driver, winning 28 races in 2011 in the bike with his mounts earning $162,583.
Shepherd’s biggest career moment came in the 2021 Gold Cup and Saucer final in Charlottetown when Smooth Lou paced to a 1:51.1 victory in line to older brother Robert Shepherd, a winner of 3,976 races and $28 million in purses in his own right.
“I was riding high,” Shepherd said of his days amongst the nation’s best. “But I made mistakes, and then on the way down, there aren’t any soft rungs to hit, I’ll tell you that. And the things I’ve done that I’m not proud of and the people I hurt, it’s just not worth it. I’ve learned from it and I’m proud to say I’m a better person for it.”
The horseman admits heading East to his home province will not be the step down in competition that some think.
“Some of the best trainer and drivers in the sport came from back home,” said Shepherd. “The purses aren’t as large as Ontario, but there are two beautiful tracks and the racing is as tough as anywhere. There are a lot of good drivers [at] home, but I know I can drive smart and bury myself in my work. This is about to be a great summer.”
(Red Shores)