MY family bloodstock agency, Kerr and Co Ltd, founded by my late uncle Bert Kerr in 1920, this year celebrates its 100th year in business. In reaching this milestone, the agency becomes the oldest continuously trading bloodstock agency in the world.

Bert set up the business while still playing football for Bohemians in Dublin. At this time, he also had the honour of representing Ireland at football in the 1924 Olympic Games held in Paris.

On his retirement from the game he adopted the Bohemian club colours of red and black as his racing colours. Indeed, he had his first winner in these colours in 1929, with a horse called Dalymount Park, named after Bohemians home ground.

As the business grew, he was joined by his brother Desmond (my father) who ran the insurance section. His younger brother Kevin (a qualified veterinary surgeon) took over the training of the horses at the recently acquired Summerseat Stables in Clonee.

This training centre gradually became a great shop window for the agency.

Horses purchased by Bert at the sales and trained by Kevin carried the Kerr colours with much success before being sold to clients all over the world.

This was the situation I was born into and following my education at Castleknock College and UCD, I went abroad for three years to France and the US to gain experience in the broader bloodstock world.

I worked on stud farms in France and on the racetracks in the US, where I gained valuable experience, particularly working with the late US veterinary surgeon Dr Jock Jocoy in California.

On my return to Ireland, I formally joined the business taking charge of the transport section. In November 1973, Bert died and I started to concentrate more fully on the bloodstock side of the business, something I had always wanted to do.

Unique success

Over the years the agency has had many successes, both on and off the track, including handling the sale of horses such as Nasrullah (champion sire Ireland/USA), Leroidesanimaux (leading US sire), Hindostan (champion sire in Japan), Sea Charger and Green Banner (Guineas winners), Irish Chorus (champion two-year-old filly), Desert Call (champion sprinter), Hard To Beat (European champion two-year-old/Prix du Jockey Club winner) etc.

In more recent years, King’s Theatre (leading NH sire) and Mr Medici (Grade 1 winner in Hong Kong) stand out.

One of the agency’s most unique successes was a horse called Tomy Lee, purchased as a foal for 2,300 guineas in 1956 at Tattersalls December Sale and exported to the USA by the agency. He went on to win the 1959 Kentucky Derby ridden by Willie Shoemaker and Kerr and Co remains the only bloodstock agency to purchase the winner of that great race as a foal at public auction in Europe.

More recently we have developed strong business ties with Central Europe, including three winners of the Czech Derby. Our latest success is the Irish-bred, former Joseph O’Brien-trained colt Arcturus (2016), who was recently voted champion three-year-old in the Czech Republic.

Regarding the future, I look ahead with great optimism to Ireland continuing to maintain her position as a market leader in the bloodstock industry worldwide. I believe that with the number of young people involved in the industry in Ireland nowadays the future is in very safe hands.

As regards Kerr and Co, now ‘100 years young’, I look forward to continuing to do what I have always wanted to do, namely carrying on the great tradition of this agency started by Bert back in 1920.

I love this business because it can be so unpredictable and while that can be a challenge, it also means that success can come from anywhere, at any time.

We should never lose hope because dreams do become a reality in this great industry.

Bert Kerr was in conversation with John O’Riordan.