His US Triple Crown performances ingrained his place in history. And when he was released, he spent two of three weeks with us.". (In a bitter twist, Stan Cosgrove would discover that his did not). About 100 cameramen and journalists were in or outside the Europa Hotel as Thompson and his co-negotiators arrived. In an apparent bid to receive a pay out, jailed IRA informant Seon O'Callagan claimed the horse died within 24 hours. "I have never gone along with the theory that he was too hard to control because he was the quietest, gentlest horse, with a bombproof temperament.". Shergar was taken by masked gunmen on 8 February 1983 and while it's never been been proven exactly what happened there are no end of theories. Swirling mist and driving rain threaten to obscure the view from a ridge up in the Iron Mountains, high above County Leitrim. But last night, more than 24 hours after the raid, they had made no contact. Jim Fitzgerald, a father of six, was forced at gunpoint to Shergars stable where they were joined by six more masked gunmen. "Thirty-five years after the horse was taken from its stable in Kildare, I wanted to do my own documentary, and the letters proved invaluable in pointing me in certain directions. In the one-hour programme Bafta-winning film maker Alison Millar looks at the life and death of the dual Derby hero, stolen at gunpoint from the Aga Khan's Ballymany Secretariat Maybe the most well-known racehorse of all time was the first in racing history to be awarded the Horse of the Year Award. But the horse was kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. As he was freed the kidnappers told him their chilling terms. But it wasnt just any horse. As racing fans prepare for this year's running of the Derby this afternoon, the name of Shergar is still remembered because of its record 10-length win in the race in 1981. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never been found and uncovered the truth about the Its Shergar first . A mystery man said he had information the horse was still alive and he could pinpoint where it was being held. The gang had chosen the time for the snatch carefully. And so, the greatest racehorse of the century was butchered in the same way that the IRA killed many of its human enemies. Shergar Bred by the Aga Khan in County Kildare not too far from the stud from which he was eventually taken, Shergar was trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket. In 1999, former IRA gunman Sen O'Callaghan published his memoirs, The Informer. One of the yarns that grew out of that day is that when the younger Swinburn treated himself to an ice-pop, the vendor offered a cheery Have a nice, day, son, not realising he was serving the Derby-winning jockey. They lived in that other world.. The truth about Shergar racehorse kidnapping - The Telegraph Rumors abound that the horse was killed just a few hours after the abduction, but the true fate of the horse remains unknown. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. But four hours later, he was released and found 40 miles away from the stud farm. But he wanted his champion to stand at his Irish stud. "He has always refused to speak openly about his time in the IRA, but he spoke to me as an 'expert' on the IRA's kidnapping strategy," says Alison. At gunpoint, Mr Fitzgerald, a quietly spoken father of six, was forced to lead the gang to Shergar's stable and load the horse into a stolen horsebox that they had brought with them. The Irish Sea Helped Seven of the most famous ranch and quarter horse bloodlines are Doc Bar, Driftwood, Two Eyed Jack, Joe Hancock, Playgun, Old Sorrel, and Peppy San Badger. Who was the greatest racehorse sire of all time? And I want to say the police will block any attempt to pay any ransom.". He said: "If Shergar is harmed in any way it will do untold damage to the whole bloodstock industry. An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. Hunter discovers skeletal remains of N.J. man missing for months Red Rum did not have any foals. Read more, Known in the industry as fake tails, these pieces, just like the best hairpieces for humans, are made from real hair and braided into existing locks to add length and volume. He was astonished to find it was pierced by two bullet holes. Native Dancer became so popular that his blood began to dominate the Thoroughbred breed. The failure to find Shergar's body meant that only members of the syndicate who had insured the horse for theft - as well as death or an accident - were compensated by their insurance companies. Why Does My Horse Bob Is Head When I Put His Bridle On? For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The disappearance of champion racehorse Shergar remains a mystery, English jockey Walter Swinburn, 19, on Shergar in 1980, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. But no contact was made. . Along with Kathryn, they have obtained information from seven or eight sources that the remains of the iconic thoroughbred lie in a bog in Co Leitrim. Years later, there were still whispers that Shergar was alive and secretly producing foals whose breeding lines could never be divulged. "Shergar was a grand horse and he deserved better. The equine equivalent of the Lord Lucan mystery, there has been no ending to the riddle, with the IRA never officially claiming responsibility and Shergar's body never found. A quarter of a century ago, the Ballymany Stud was shielded from the outside world by a five-bar wooden gate with a latch. And so it proved in the first year at stud, when it produced 35 foals. Using a coded phrase - King Neptune - that had been given to Mr Fitzgerald during the kidnap, those holding the horse soon began secret negotiations with a representative of the Aga Khan. Some said it was the Mafia in retaliation for a horse deal with the Aga Khan that had gone wrong. One of them, with the revolver, was very aggressive," Mr. Fitzgerald told the Telegraph about his ride in the kidnappers car. He was stolen at night along with his groom, who was held at gunpoint in the horse van before being released 20 miles away. I had never been in the horse racing world before. They approached several locals, but each time was stonewalled when the conversation turned to the horse. WebShergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. The men never reached an agreement. The description speaks of the low ignorance of the moment. The man who made Shergar a superstar appealed to the kidnapperslast night: "For God's sake, don't harm him. He was buried at the winning post of the Aintree Racecourse, which is still a destination for his fans. Certainly, the operation bore the hallmarks of an IRA plan in that it relied upon immaculate planning, thuggery, ruthlessness and the usual fetish for hokey codenames, delivered tersely down telephones. Vanilla Ice: loves his racing, baby BBC Vanilla Ice said: I love horses, I love watching them. In February 1983, Shergar - Wikipedia Well, I would say, somebody knows. One group took the horse. The precise circumstances of Shergar's grisly death are also revealed for the first time. The Aga could have got much more if he had sold Shergar to America. He remains the only horse to ever win both races in the same season. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. "After that, it was just a case of old-fashioned walking up laneways and knocking on doors and trying to track down people who had some connection with the case. I found that really hard to understand. I do. The most famous and valuable racehorse in the world, Shergar had won the 1981 Epsom Derby by ten lengths, which is the longest winning margin in the race's 202-year history. He was born in Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. ", In that, she was often assisted by Liam's widow, Kathryn Johnston. 8 Incredible Facts About Red Rum (Records, Stats, Foals They were so lovely and they went through such trauma. Did They Trade Horses In The Columbian Exchange? Shergar was valued at 10million when he disappeared. When he retired after that first season, racehorse owners paid up to $120,000 for shares in his services impregnating mares, eager to have young horses from his bloodline to train for races. He became the first racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby starting from last place winning in under 2-minutes. This meant there were two parallel inquiries, with the two forces refusing to share information. Taking Shergar, the first title in the new series, Horses in History, examines this oft-discussed mystery in a new way. The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. All of this was reported by an international media fascinated by the lead investigator, Superintendent Jim Murphy, a trilby-wearing veteran with a laconic and highly quotable manner: They must be running into the 50 now, he said drily of the clairvoyants and physics who offered leads and dreams. The horse was the easiest modern-day winner of the Epsom Derby. Fitzpatrick was forced to identify Shergar and was then driven in a van for about half an hour before he was released in the village of Kilcock. A week later, The Irish Times reported that a loaded magazine from a semi-automatic rifle was found near the outside wall of Ballymany Stud and recognised as the kind used by the Provisional IRA in south Armagh. 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This was it and it was approved by the IRA army council, according to our sources.". Stud fees were set at around 80,000 for each time it covered a brood mare. Discover the real Ireland, how you can travel slow around the island, Dubliner adopted to New York at birth reunites with Irish family 63 years later, Catholic Church launches initiative encouraging young Irish men to consider priesthood, Killarney National Park in "terrible state" after years of neglect, conference hears, Great Famine Voices 2023 Launch New Season of Films, Ireland of the Welcomes' hot hotel: The Savoy Hotel Limerick, WATCH: 1916 Easter Rising footage featured in British Path online archives, Mustard and herb lamb chops with honey dressing recipe. He's dead." (modern). But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". In a neat turn of phrase, Alison says: "They thought this horse would be their cash cow.". Inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2011, First Down Dash is arguably the greatest race sire of all time. I love to think about how Secretariat is Ruffians uncle. Others, including the IRA, argued that O'Callaghan, who died in a swimming pool accident in Jamaica last August, could not be trusted , given how he had spent a long period of his life as an informer against republicans. The Begum Aga Khan with Shergar after his victory in the Irish Sweeps Derby at the Curragh on June 29th, 1981. Tommy Foley, from Tralee in Co Kerry, said he found the remains of the stallions skull last Saturday during an annual clean up of a glen outside the West Ireland town. I hope one day we can get to the bottom of what happend. 19-year-old English jockey Walter Swinburn on Shergar, after winning the Derby at Epsom, 3rd June 1981, Walter Swinburn wins the Derby on Shergar in 1981, Shergar, ridden by a 19-year-old Walter Swinburn, wins the Derby by 10 lengths at Epsom, 3rd June 1981, The Aga Khan leads Shergar in after his Derby win, Portrait of Shergar at his stables in Newmarket, England, taken in 1980, Walter Swinburn and Shergar made a formidable partnership. The other - "a very senior IRA man" - agreed to talk to her off the record. With an intense garda hunt taking place across the country and the ransom process now a shambles, a decision was made to end the operation. He was out on the paddock with some bullocks. Foaled on March 3rd, 1978 at The Aga Khans stud at Sheshoon, Shergars dam, Sharmeen, was a descendent of Mumtaz Mahal, in turn the daughter of The Tetrarch, foaled at the Straffan stud in Kildare in 1911 and one of the most influential host lines of the last century. During the 18 days Cleo sMITH spent being held in a home in Carnarvon in Western Australia, her hair had been completely changed by her abductor. Shergar was a legend long before his unfortunate end, winning Irish and English Derbys - the latter by a record margin. He was a very kind horse. How Many Horses Did Shergar Sire? - Great American Adventures Most domesticated horses in the world today are used to ride and to do farm or ranch work.
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