HARPER D Sheppard and Clinton N Myers were in the business of manufacturing sturdy hard wearing men’s shoes in the town of Hanover.

The two men had owned a harness racing stable since around 1900.

In 1926 the next generation of Sheppards, namely Lawrence Baker Sheppard, bought 69 horses from the dispersal of the estate of AB Coxe and a breeding phenomenon was born.

From that first draft of all aged stock came Hanover’s Bertha who trotted in 1.59 at a time when many races were going 2.04 to 2.10. She was trained by the immortal Tom Berry and her record breaking achievements on the track set the tone for many more champions (the ‘Hanover’ became a suffix ) in the late 20th century.

In the early years the farm retained some stock for racing, indeed LB Sheppard was himself a useful amateur driver, and there were many great stories about the days the operation raced their stock on the Grand Circuit (the moving tour for stakes colts in the US). However, as the years wore on Hanover Shoe Farms evolved into selling all its yearlings.

Writers over the years portray LB Sheppard as a sharp, gruff individual yet at the same time the type of man who would regularly tell some of the town drunks to report to the farm for work. ‘Shep’ as he was known to close friends would also drop his cross demeanour when in the company of Dean Hanover (f 1934, 1.58.5), his all-time favourite horse. Sheppard’s daughter Alma (then 11 years old) set a world record of 1.58.5 aboard this gentle giant in 1937.

TODAY

L.B. Sheppard can be content if he is hiding behind one of the barns on the sprawling farm. His grandson Russell Williams is CEO. Jim Simpson, the son of his great protégé, John Simpson is farm president.

The numbers are impressive. Hanover advertise that they are the world’s leading horse breeder, of any breed, in terms of prize money won in a given season. Progeny from the farm took in over $31 million last year.

The 2019 stallion roster contains the winners of combined purses of $23 million. The farm covers 3,200 acres and is home to 450 active broodmares.

Also, the animal welfare lobby would be pleased to note that a good home is provided for 100 retired broodmares. Indeed some of the most famous horses in harness racing are buried at the farm.

HOW NOT TO GET HIRED

In 1949, a young southern born horseman named John Simpson was rising rapidly up the training and driving ranks in America.

Older men like Sep Palin, Frank Ervin and Curly Smart had dominated for years and it was not easy for new blood to break into the pecking order. Imperial Hanover was that year’s most talked about colt in the Hanover sales consignment. One by one, the top trainers saw him out of his box and he was a much envied specimen with the potential for a lucrative sale price.

Eventually the gavel fell at $72,000 dollars. A lot of dollars in 1948. Wouldn’t you think that young John Simpson would be delighted when one of his owners bought the star lot? Not so, Simpson had reservations about Imperial Hanover and refused to take the colt.

Word got back to the vendor LB Sheppard who sent for Simpson. “What do you mean you don’t want to train this colt?”

John Simpson answered that he thought the colt was a bit narrow in front and that as a result he would probably hit his knees. The brief meeting did not end on pleasant terms. Eventually, after further coaxing the young native of South Carolina did take the colt to train. In the end, the horse did hit his knees, and never amounted to much.

Soon afterwards LB Sheppard sent Simpson some horses to train and a partnership of great mutual respect began.

THE BOOM

With the end of the Second World War, an American public itching to spend money watching live sport and the invention of the mobile starting gate, these were boom years for US trotting. The development of grand stadia like Roosevelt Raceway and Yonkers in New York gave the sport a new urban audience.

New stars like Billy Haughton, Stanley Dancer and Simpson (nicknamed The Ice Man) drove in front of packed houses. Fans wined and dined in glass-fronted restaurants and continually set new records for pari-mutuel handle.

A rising tide floats all boats and the good ship Hanover was better rigged than most. The achievements and the statistics from 1945 onwards are too numerous to mention.

Racing continued on scorching hot afternoons in America’s midwest, trotting’s spiritual home. Races of three heats in one afternoon (featuring the same horses) were not uncommon. The great Adios duelled with his arch enemy King’s Counsel. Tar Heel did not have the prettiest head but he had the heart of a lion and interestingly, provided the probably strongest link between Hanover and Ireland when his son Sly Heel went on to have many runners in Ireland.

Stars Pride was a top horse in 1950 for driver Harry Pownall. The son of Worthy Boy produced eight Hambletonian winners at stud. Stars Pride alone would help finance the massive operation in his years in the covering shed and he even has an influence in the Trotteur Français stud book.

He mated with the French champion mare Roquepine to produce Florestan, widely seen in modern French pedigrees. Shortly afterwards the French authorities, with Gallic flair, took the decision to close their stud book to any further American blood.

During the 2018 VDM Festival, Jim Simpson proclaimed Stars Pride to be his favourite horse of all time: “He was small, he was short-barrelled, he hit his shins, and yet he sired eight Hambletonian winners.”

The old saying – handsome is as handsome does.

Delvin Miller (1913-1996) was well known in Ireland. Miller owed some of his wealth to a 1955 deal whereby he sold 33% of his adored stallion Adios to Hanover Shoe Farms.

Sheppard wisely chose to let the stallion (then aged 15) to live out his days at the farm of Delvin and Mary Lib Millar. Adios has been described as one of those rare animals of any species with the ability to procreate animals as good or better than himself. Eight Little Brown Jug winners backs up the theory.

As the sport grew, Hanover became a serious buyer of three and four-year-old stallions, quite often syndicating these horses as a successful career wound down. Stanley Dancer’s beloved Albatross was one such example. Albatross may be the greatest pacer never to win The Little Brown Jug.

Albatross and Dancer learned in 1971 that it wasn’t a good idea to get into a dog fight with driver Herve Filion, who came out best on the less-acclaimed Nansemond.

On a more positive note, Albatross proved a wise investment for Hanover. Among the winners of $130 million, Albatross sired the remarkable Niatross (p 3, 1.49.1), the first sub 1.50 pacer.

Super Bowl won the Hambletonian despite a well-known driver clouting his tyre not once but twice. Super Bowl was an eminent trotting sire through the 1970s.

John Simpson still hankered after the fast-moving life of the professional trainer. Yet all the while the older Sheppard was grooming his selected successor to come and manage the farm.

In 1968 Lawrence Sheppard passed away leaving John Simpson, by now retired from driving, to manage the operation. Western Hanover (p 1.50.4, pictured right), earner of $2,541,647, was a more recent star in the Hanover stallion roster.

These days the blood of Hanover stallion Somebeachsomewhere, who tragically died last year, is much sought after and the Pennsylavania breeding station is busy with orders for straws from his son Captain Treacherous. In harness racing AI is permitted.

The massive crowds at the metropolitan tracks may have faded but the orange and blue Hanover logo still flies high at major tracks and sales. Wherever men throw a leg into a jog cart ‘the greatest name in harness racing’ looks set to continue its winning ways.