Vale Bernard de Saint-Seine
Many Australian and New Zealand studs, their staff, bloodstock agents plus staff of each country’s auctioneers, will be saddened with the news that popular French agent, Bernard de Saint-Seine, passed away last month.
ANZ Bloodstock News was made aware of his passing by Fairdale Stud’s Gerald Fell and bloodstock agent Michael Otto.
Saint-Seine was much liked and very highly regarded, not only in the northern hemisphere but also developed great friendships in Australia and New Zealand via his frequent visits to the annual round of yearling sales in both countries.
To mark Saint-Seine’s quality reputation ANZ Bloodstock News contacted several friends and business associates for their comments.
Gerald Fell, MNZM, spoke of how Saint-Seine developed many powerful connections throughout the bloodstock world.
“Bernard worked closely with the Hancock family of Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and was responsible for selling the French champion Le Fabuleux (Wild Risk), whose granddam was a half-sister to Australian champion sire Wilkes (Court Martial),” Fell said.
“His career began with the French-based Agency Flying Fox which formed a close association with the British Bloodstock Agency, which ultimately led to his becoming a close friend of BBA director Sir Philip Payne-Galway.
Saint-Seine would later take over the ownership of the agency.
“He managed the French breeding and racing affairs of a host of wealthy American clients. He sold Riverton, Amyntor and Travolta to us,” Fell continued.
“When the Marcel Boussac estate was dispersed, Amyntor, who was a very good racehorse and had generations of Boussac breeding behind him, was the only horse sold out of Boussac estate that was not included in the total bloodstock parcel bought by The Aga Khan in a bulk deal. This was because of Bernard’s connections to both The Aga Khan and Boussac Executors.”
“Bernard was a great personality with wide connections around the world. Very polite and aristocratic (he had an ancient inherited title of ‘Count’ that has not been used since the French revolution) and could mix with anyone and open any doors. He was always a great host when looking after visitors to France,” concluded Fell.
Highly respected Queensland-based agent John Foote worked with Saint-Seine for 46 years, and recounted their time in partnership.
“Count Bernard was a good friend and we worked together exclusively in France until the last few years. His Agence Flying Fox was highly successful in all parts of the world with particular interests in Australasia and Japan,” said Foote. “Flying Fox was the French arm of the British Bloodstock Agency, in its time the largest agency in the world.
“He was a regular attendee at our sales in Australia and New Zealand, on his annual pilgrimage and enjoyed the hospitality of his large number of friends,” continued Foote.
“He had a particularly good eye for stallions and selecting fillies as potential broodmares. He also mentored Emmanuel de Seroux who subsequently went to the USA, formed Narvick International, and has become a leading agent throughout the world.”
Saint-Seine’s accomplishments were not confined to bloodstock agency work. As a gentleman rider he rode the winners of close to 100 races both on the flat and over the jumps in France and abroad, making him a very well-rounded horseman.
Former Wrightson Bloodstock general manager, Michael Floyd, having read the comments from Fell and Foote, not only concurred, but added: “Bernard loved his red wine.”
Michael Otto commented: “Bernard was very hospitable to New Zealanders, and I am sure Australians too, when they visited him in France, either at his lovely home near Chantilly or at the races. As Michael Floyd observed, he loved fine wine and good food, a true Frenchman. He was quite a character.”
Count Bernard, 82, is survived by his wife Birgit, his daughter Josephine and her family.