{{Short description|French jockey}} {{Infobox horseracing personality | name = Georges Stern | image = KSAR (G. Stern), m. al. 3 ans, par Brûleur et Kizil Kourgan, gagnant, cette année, des Prix Hocquart, Lupin, du Jockey Club, Royal Oak, et de l'Arc de Triomphe, au tolal de 931.575 francs d'argent public.jpg | caption = | occupation = Jockey | birth_date = 1882 | birth_place = France | death_date = 28 October 1928 | death_place = France | career wins = | race = | awards = | honours = | horses = }} '''Georges Stern''' (29 Sep 1883 – October 28, 1928), nicknamed "'''The King of the Derbies"'''and "'''King of the Jockeys'''", was France’s most famous jockey in the early part of the 20th century.<ref name="jewishsports1">{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/GeorgesStern.htm |title=Georges Stern |publisher=Jewishsports.net |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Legendary riders who dominated the Prix du Jockey Club a century ago {{!}} Topics: Prix de Diane, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Cash Asmussen, Prix du Jockey Club, Yves Saint-Martin |url=https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/5046/legendary-riders-who-dominated-prix-du-jockey-club-century-ago/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Thoroughbred Racing Commentary}}</ref> Besides France, he also rode in England.<ref name="jewishsports1"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x28uAAAAIBAJ&pg=3701,718917&dq=derby+george-stern&hl=en |title=French Jockey Passes|work=Ottawa Citizen |date=29 October 1928 |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref>
Stern was born in Chantilly, France to British parents, George and Margaret Stearn who were naturalized in France.<ref name="jewishsports1"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xcfef_d2es4C&q=%22Georges+Stern%22+jockey&pg=PA220 |title=The Big Book of Jewish Sports Heroes: An Illustrated Compendium of Sports History and The 150 Greatest Jewish Sports Stars|author=Peter S. Horvitz |year= 2007|publisher=SP Books |isbn=978-1-56171-907-5 |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t7RSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3236,4254561&dq=derby+george-stern&hl=en |title=English Jockey a Thing of the Past |work=The Morning Leader |date= 26 June 1913|accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref> Although later said to be Jewish, his father and mother came from Christian families,<ref>{{Cite web | title=Imgur: The magic of the Internet | url=https://imgur.com/ckSRAQv | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801121855/https://imgur.com/ckSRAQv | access-date=2024-12-16 | archive-date=2024-08-01}}</ref> his cousin Alfred Stearn was a Vicar of Swaffham Bulbeck.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Katherine Emily Elliott - Alfred John Steed Stearn | url=https://slatters.org.uk/Trumpington/f7495.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725133451/https://slatters.org.uk/Trumpington/f7495.htm | access-date=2024-12-16 | archive-date=2021-07-25}}</ref> His maternal grandparents were James Watkin, horse trainer and Anna Maria Flatman, niece of Nat Flatman.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/5060850327:62476 | title=Sign up }}</ref>
In 1904, he won the Grand Prix, the French Derby (riding Ajax), the French Oaks (Profane), the Austrian Derby (Con Amore), the German Derby (Con Amore), and the Baden Baden Prix (Caius).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TO19050401.2.23 |title=CAP and JACKET |work=Observer |date=1 April 1905 |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref>
In 1908 he won the French Derby, the Austrian Derby, and the German Derby, and finished second in the Belgian Derby.<ref name="jewishsports1"/><ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dAq4TGQsWwwC&q=derby+%22Georges+Stern%22&pg=PA164 |title=Day by day in Jewish sports history |author=Bob Wechsler |publisher= KTAV Publishing House, Inc.|year= 2008|isbn=978-0-88125-969-8 |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref>
In 1898, at 17 years of age, in Colombes Stern won his first race riding Finlas, a horse owned and trained by his father.<ref name="jewishsports1"/> In 1900, he won the debut Grand Prix de Deauville, riding Amedee.<ref name="jewishsports1"/> He won the Deauville again in 1901 (riding Jacobite), 1902 (Maximum), and 1909 (Biniou).<ref name="jewishsports1"/>
He won the 1911 Epsom Derby (riding Sunstar).<ref name="jewishsports1"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fu49AAAAIBAJ&pg=1837,2390882&dq=derby+george-stern&hl=en |title=Lame Excuses Aren't Needed |work=The Glasgow Herald |date= 11 June 1980|accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ez1MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2913,5423097&dq=derby+george-stern&hl=en |title=The Winner of the Epsom Derby |work=The Toronto World |date= 4 June 1911|accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WMRSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3585,4147722&dq=derby+george-stern&hl=en |title=The Favorite Won |work=The Morning Leader |date= 2 June 1911|accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref> He was a six-time winner of the Prix du Jockey Club’s French Derby—in 1901 (Saxon), 1904 (Ajax), 1908 (Quintette), 1913 (Dagor), 1914 (Sardanapale), and 1922 (Ramus).<ref name="jewishsports1" /> He won the Grand Prix de Paris in 1904 (Ajax), 1913 (Bruleur), 1914 (Sardanapale), and 1922 (Ramus).<ref name="jewishsports1"/><ref name="google1"/>
He retired in 1926.<ref name="jewishsports1"/> In his career, he had over 1,000 victories.<ref name="jewishsports1"/> He died at the age of 45, in October 1928 in France.<ref name="jewishsports1"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Siegman |first=Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o_j1DwAAQBAJ |title=Jewish Sports Legends: The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame |date=2020-08-01 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-1-4962-2212-1 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1993, he was elected a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name="jewishsports1"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stern, Georges}} Category:French jockeys Category:1882 births Category:1928 deaths