‘Hopefully it can become the norm’ - history made as first female bloodstock auctioneer takes centre stage at Tattersalls

Sales history was created on Tuesday morning when Shirley Anderson-Jolag became the first female bloodstock auctioneer in Britain. The first lot she dropped the hammer on during an accomplished debut was Lot 211 at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. 

The Ubettabelieveit colt from Mickley Stud was knocked down to Peter Kelly, who signed the docket as HWRS at 1,000gns. In a break from normal sales ring convention, the crowd gave Anderson-Jolag a hearty round of applause after she brought the gavel down. 

“I really enjoyed it, but the ten minutes before were fairly nerve-wracking,” said Anderson-Jolag. “It flew by. All I remember is looking around seeing all my favourite people. The ring was full of people who’ve been there from day one of my Tattersalls career, as well as clients who've since become great friends. It was really special to see, and the round of applause just shows how many people wanted me to do well.” 

She added: “I was very good the night before; I went to bed early and left my phone outside my bedroom for the first time in my life so I didn’t look at any form of social media. I practiced this morning and did a test run. I felt sick before but I really loved it, and actually I wish I’d had a few more to sell.” 

Anderson-Jolag had something of a baptism of fire as she also had to contend with an upcoming lot bursting through the rope and entering the ring before his time. “The round of applause was nice, but then during the next lot the foal burst his way into the ring!” she said. “It’s all good experience, though.” 

Asked whether the significance of being the first woman to auction bloodstock in Britain had weighed on her mind during the build up to Tuesday’s debut, she said: “Until last night I hadn’t really thought about it, but when someone posted about it on social media was when it really hit me. I wanted to be good for me but also for other women as well, and for everyone else. I won’t buy into the first female thing too much but it’s great that I’ve done it and hopefully it can become the norm.”

Anderson-Jolag said auctioneering was something she had always aspired to since she joined the Tattersalls team in 2015. Despite her presence on the rostrum at the world’s oldest auction house being entirely unprecedented, she said there has been no shortage of support from within the company. 

Shirley Anderson-Jolag made history at Tattersalls on TuesdayCredit: Laura Green

“I’ve always loved auctions so when I joined I thought it would be a cool thing to do,” she said. “Did I think it would be a possibility? Maybe at the beginning I didn’t. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do, but it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve started working towards today. 

“It was actually during Covid when they introduced the bid-spotting podium outside by the parade ring that I thought ‘I’d love to do this properly inside’. It was actually me who stopped myself from pursuing this a few years ago, but from day one Edmond [Mahony, auctioneer and Tattersalls chairman] was very keen to work with me. He’s been the world’s greatest mentor because he’s been helpful in every respect, from teaching me, keeping me calm through all of it, everything.” 

Anderson-Jolag has spent the last two years honing her craft, with spells auctioneering at Rowley’s fine art and antiques, as well as various charity events and also conducting the post-race auction following a selling hurdle at Huntingdon racecourse earlier in the month. 

“I do a lot of driving and I’ve been on the road with inspections for the foal and store sales, so I’ve spent the last 18 months listening to the dulcet tones of other Tattersalls auctioneers like Edmond, Harvey Bell, Freddie McKibbin, Matt Hall, Simon Kerins and Al Pim,” she said. 

“I’ve had a lot of help from Edmond. For the last year I’ve driven up to Newmarket to meet him for lessons, and then there’s been a lot of practising on my own. In the last few months that’s intensified, and then in the last week I have basically lived in the ring rehearsing.” 

Anderson-Jolag nominated Mahony’s calm, authoritative demeanour on the rostrum as something to work towards, but added that she was committed to developing her own style. “I’m different, I’m Shirley at the end of the day, so I want to throw in my own little twist, but if I can be a quarter as good an auctioneer as Edmond is then I’ll be happy,” she said. 

She hopes to become a regular on the Park Paddocks rostrum, while her next stint is scheduled to be during Saturday’s final session of the December Foal Sale. 

Although Anderson-Jolag was not born into racing, she was able to call upon experiences from her upbringing, having combined her love for horses with formal education in the performing arts. 

“It was always horses and performing arts,” she said on her background. “I thought I’d be sensible and go down the performing arts route but I loved racing and horses too much. I went to university and then drama school and was an opera singer, dancer and an actress. You’d think that might help being an auctioneer, but you’re playing somebody else. I was fine with that, but being myself doing this was a very different experience. Performing arts is a very different world, but hopefully I can use some of the skills I learned there to help keep me calm in this job.” 

While the racing and breeding industry remains a male dominated arena, Anderson-Jolag said she hopes her auctioneering debut will stand as an example of the opportunities that are there to be seized by those willing to work for them, regardless of their background. 

“There probably have been challenges [being a woman in the industry] but I think if you’re good at what you do, that will shine through,” she said. “And I genuinely believe that; it doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female, or whatever your background is. In this industry, if you’re good and you show that you’re prepared to work hard, you’ll earn respect. 

“I didn’t come from a racing background. My mother’s from Donegal and my father’s from the Middle East. Both sides of the family loved horses but it wasn’t something I was born into. I got into it, loved it and realised it was an industry I never wanted to leave.” 

The auctioneering debut caps a busy few months for Anderson-Jolag, who was promoted to sales manager for Tattersalls Jockey Club sales in August. Her first event at the helm was the Cheltenham November Sale, which posted sizable gains across the spectrum of market metrics, and was capped by the £330,000 Kovanis, who was bought by Gordon Elliott. 

Tattersalls chairman and auctioneer Edmond Mahony has mentored Shirley Anderson-JolagCredit: Edward Whitaker

Anderson-Jolag joked that the only change following the promotion was “a bit more pressure,” before adding: “I couldn’t have been happier though. With the British government’s budget just coming in we didn’t know what the world would be like or how strong the market would be. But we had some gorgeous horses who’d performed well in their point-to-points and I came away speechless because of how well it went and how lovely everyone was. I couldn’t have asked for better. Hopefully it’ll be more of the same going into the December Sale because we’ve already taken a couple of very nice entries.” 

While Anderson-Jolag is the first woman to wield the gavel at Tattersalls, other ladies have taken the rostrum elsewhere in the world. In May 2014 Stephanie Grentell auctioneered at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale in Australia, while Aurelie Branere took charge of selling during the Arqana Autumn Sale in Deauville the following year.

Mahony later reflected on her achievement.

"The company is nearly 260 years old, so to have a first female auctioneer is quite a moment," he said. "Tattersalls is viewed as a very traditional company and it is quite nice to buck the trend and be the first to achieve this. It is a great achievement on Shirley's behalf, she has put a lot of work into this. She was obviously nervous this morning, but she will be a lot freer and relaxed going forwards."

He added: "I have to admit I was a little bit nervous for her today. Over the years I have taught a lot of people, and when they first get up you always hoping that it goes okay. Before she went up to the rostrum I just said to her to just imagine that she was practising like we had been and then she would be fine, and she was."

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