Georges Stern was one of Europe’s outstanding jockeys during the early years of the twentieth century. His most memorable season was 1908, when he captured three European derbies—the era’s most challenging racing events. He won the French, Austrian, and German derbies and finished second in the Belgian Derby.

Stern won his first victory at age 17, just before the turn of the century. One year later, in 1900, he scored his first major success in the debut running of the Grand Prix de Deauville, aboard Amedee. He repeated at Deauville with victories the next two years, atop Jacobite in 1901 and Maximum in 1902. In 1909, he again won the Deauville aboard Biniou.

One of the few jockeys to ride both in England and France, Stern rode Sunstar to the 1911 Epsom Derby crown, having finished second in 1905 and 1909. Six times he found the winners’ circle at the Prix Du Jockey Club’s French Derby—in 1901 (Saxon), 1904 (Ajax), 1908 (Quintette), 1913 (Dagor), 1914 (Sardanapale), and
1922 (Ramus). He also earned Grand Prix de Paris victories in 1904 (Ajax), 1913 (Bruleur), and 1914 (Sardanapale).

Stern retired in 1926, following a distinguished career that saw him riding against the best American jockeys ever to invade Europe. Wrote the British trainer of Sunstar, “Amore fearless rider I never knew.”