Those who looked after and rode Shergar agree that he was one of the kindest, gentlest racehorses ever to grace the racetrack. WebShergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. 8 Incredible Facts About Red Rum (Records, Stats, Foals On February 8, 1983, an armed gang burst into the home of Shergar's groom at Ballymany Stud farm in the Curragh, Co Kildare, forced him to load it into a horsebox and drove off, creating a mystery even beyond the imagination of Dick Francis, the celebrated racing novelist. Award-winning filmmaker Alison Millar realised she had uncovered gold dust when she was shown the hefty sheaf of letters sent from Maghaberry Prison by Sean O'Callaghan to Mr Clarke. Shergar became a father for the first time a week ago when a bay colt [pictured top left on the newspaper page above] who looks remarkably like him was born at the Irish stud. He flew to Belfast to negotiate at the Europa Hotel. Named Horse of the Year in 1957, Bold Ruler was the first stallion whose offspring won more than $2 million in one season. Derby winner Shergar was kidnapped by an IRA gang from a stud in Co Kildare 17 years ago. The horse had retired from racing and had recently embarked on a lucrative career at stud with racehorse owners paying for Shergar to cover their mares in the hope the resulting foal would be another champion. They are hardly being bumped off in such a fashion all over Ireland, are they?". Shergar would be easily recognisable among other horses from the distinctive big white blaze on his face and three white socks. It was shortly after 8 pm when the son of Jim Fitzgerald, Shergars head groom that lived at the stud, heard a knock at the door. He received a rapturous welcome on his homecoming to the Curragh for the Irish Derby. I had never been in the horse racing world before. Instead, Mallon ordered that the horse be shot. When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, he refused to discuss the case. The Provisional IRA, strapped for cash to fund its campaign, hatched a plan to kidnap the animal for ransom. The gang struck as stud head groom Jim Fitzgerald and his family were relaxing after dinner at their home in Ballymany, near Newbridge in County Kildare. Shergar was voted European Racehorse of the Year, but he never raced again and was retired to stud. Shergar ran just eight races in his short life, winning six times. Thompson received a phone call the next day from the kidnappers - they said, "The horse has had an accident. "I do not believe any ransom will be paid. When Alison set out to make the documentary, she figured that 35 years after the kidnapping and the new atmosphere in Ireland - at that time the Troubles were at their height - tongues may have been loosened and people would be more willing to talk about the incident. At his home, Jim Fitzgerald was dismayed when I broke the news about exactly how the horse he had cared for had died. What happened next is not for the fainthearted. Furthermore, by contacting leading IRA men in Co Leitrim the leadership had guaranteed the horse "safe passage" to a remote farm close to the border. As his son, Bernard, answered it, three masked and armed men barged their way in and started ordering the family around. I found that really hard to understand. Members of the 34-share syndicate could face huge losses if he is damaged. Well, if youre not satisfied, came the reply. I remember Willie Carson it was Willie he bumped said that it was nothing afterwards.. Physically, he was a distinctive beauty: the white blaze on the nose, the four white socks. Before the kidnap, Shergar was worth 10m. Co Leitrim, which even now has a population of just 26,000, has kept many secrets during the 30 years of the Troubles. The kidnapping became one of the great mysteries of the 1980s, with constant reports of sightings, but despite a nationwide search no trace of him was ever found. The plot, hairbrained as it turned out, was to gain a ransom for the record-breaking Epsom Derby winner. At gunpoint they led Mr Fitzgerald's wife and their five children into one room and locked the door. A shocked Mr Fitzgerald was able to give only a rough outline of the raid. With a distinctive white blaze on his face, four white "socks" and his unusual racing style - he ran with his tongue lolling out of one side of his mouth - Shergar quickly captured the imagination of the British and Irish public. It is also widely believed his kidnappers buried him in a bog in Co. Leitrim, though some think they dumped him into the sea of Irelands south coast. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. "That's not a very nice thing to do," he said slowly, with typical Irish understatement, as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Someone has daubed "PIRA [Provisional IRA]" in purple crayon on his white garden wall. 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 Irish horse breeding industry was one of the few bright spots, with 20,000 associated jobs. Here is Shergar winning the Epsom Derby in 1981: 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. Early in his three-year-old season, Shergar won the race then known as the Guardian Classic Trial at Sandown Park. Once targets had been attacked, active service units would then slip back to the "safe houses" of the south to prepare for their next mission. A former IRA member told the Sunday Telegraph: "Shergar was machine-gunned to death. I dont think this is a good thing, I cant stand the thought of overpaying for something I could have afforded with a little planning, Homobesity: How one overweight, gay, middleaged man learned to be comfortable in his skin, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: 10 of the best new shows to watch in May. Kidnapped horse Shergar's fate unknown Once back home, Mr Fitzgerald found his family unharmed. It was a very bloody death.". "I can still remember that night in that car with them lads. Owner the Aga Khan sold 34 shares in the horse at 250,000 each and kept another six for himself, valuing it at 10m.
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