In 1766 Richard Tattersall, a former stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston founded the World’s first bloodstock auction house. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner in what was then the outskirts of London. In 1965, Tattersalls moved its bloodstock auctions to Park Paddocks in Newmarket. Today Tattersalls is an international firm offering over 13,000 horses each year at 32 sales at Newmarket, Ascot and Cheltenham in Britain and at Fairyhouse in Ireland. In 1979 Tattersalls Limited took a 44% interest in Ballsbridge International Sales Company Limited which then became Ballsbridge Tattersalls as a result of the merger. increased their holding and the operation became the wholly owned subsidiary, Tattersalls Ireland Limited. In the autumn of 1986, Tattersalls acquired the Old Fairyhouse Stud at Ratoath and the modern sales complex constructed on this property offered greater opportunities for expansion. The first sale at the complex was the September Yearling Sale in 1988 which included candidates for the inaugural Tattersalls Breeders Stakes in 1989. In October 2015 Tattersalls Limited completed the takeover of the Brightwells Bloodstock division. Brightwells had been holding Bloodstock Sales at Cheltenham Racecourse since 2004 and Ascot Racecourse since 1990.
