Auctioneer for flat and National Hunt, breeder, stud owner, judge at the Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) Stallion Inspections, husband to Gillian and father to three event riders; Alastair Pim is truly a man for all horses.

Wearing his 30 years’ experience on the rostrum well, this tall, calm, never over-the-top Irishman has the magnetism that can draw a crucial bid when most needed.

“It’s easy to sell the good horse. But I get more of a buzz from getting €3,000 for a horse that is worth €300 than €3m for one,” said Pim.

“The €3m horse is going to make it regardless of whether I do a good job or not. But the artistry comes when you work hard to get the €3,000 for a lesser one. Owners appreciate that,” he says with a sincerity that is utterly appealing.

Experience

Never urged on by his fellow auctioneer and father David, Alastair added: “I sort of naturally fell into it since I was always around the sales.”

His career began in the most humble way at a small farm dispersal sale in Australia. After a two year stint down under he returned to work for Tattersalls in Fairyhouse, Newmarket and Cheltenham, selling National Hunt, flat and point-to-point horses.

For Pim nothing beats experience on the Rostrum. When asked how he feels about his stints with the sport horse sales at Cavan he replied: “I just love every minute of it.”

He is also very positive about his involvement in the HSI Stallion Inspections: “With my mum Jean having been an eventing Chef d’Equipe and with our three children Josh, Hannah and Sophie all having competed, I know a fair bit about that sport.

“But, I have learned so much about show jumping from the likes of John Ledingham, Jack Doyle and Ned Campion at the Stallion Inspections.”

The market

As to the current market in the thoroughbred world, Pim says: “From foal through point-to-point you can get very well paid for the right horse by a fashionable sire.

The same goes for the four-year-old point-to-pointer that wins first time, looks the part with size, scope and pedigree.”

Despite the concerns surrounding Brexit’s impact on trade, he explains that the National Hunt market remains quite strong at the top while being tough at the middle and bottom.

Pim also notes that plenty of good Irish horses have come through the Tattersalls Cheltenham point-to-point sales before going on to become Cheltenham runners.

Stallions

Gillian and Alastair run Anngrove Stud in Mountmellick, Co Laois, where they stand Famous Name, Vendanjeur, Aiken and their new stallion, Marcel.

On the subject of making thoroughbreds available for the sport horse world Pim is cautious.