"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. solve mystery of who kidnapped Shergar As the hunt for Shergar continued on both sides of the border, the gang's background was still a mystery. but he had a great head that way. He is the majority shareholder in the syndicate, which also includes trainer Vincent O'Brien and leading owner Robert Sangster. Alison, who has been fascinated by the disappearance of Shergar since her early years, researched the existing material meticulously and found some of the so-called 'exclusives' less than accurate. It was a very bloody death.". 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. Now, however, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph to mark the 25th anniversary of the horse's kidnapping finally solves the puzzle of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never been found and how the Garda, the Irish police, bungled their investigation. 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. There was blood everywhere, and the horse even slipped on his own blood. In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stable in Kildare, held for ransom, and brutally killed by his captors who havent been identified. The Aga could have got much more if he had sold Shergar to America. The bronze, a replica of a statue at Aintree, is worth pounds 10,000. I had never been in the horse racing world before. (In a bitter twist, Stan Cosgrove would discover that his did not). And so, the greatest racehorse of the century was butchered in the same way that the IRA killed many of its human enemies. Police have now passed the skull to the Garda team at Naas, in Co Kildare, which is responsible for the The Aga Khan, Shergars owner, sent the horse for training in Britain in 1979 and 1980. Thieves stole a life-size statue of the triple Grand National winner, Red Rum, from a house in East Meon, Hampshire. Shergars owners reportedly refused to give in to the two million pound ransom demand for fear of setting a precedent. There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. But detectives admitted they know nothing yet about the gang. Shergar Security was very lax.". Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, 5% off all bookings with this Travelodge discount code, Save 200 on 2023 holidays with this TUI discount code, Save 5% on hotel bookings with this Barcelo promo code, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Get up to 10% off using the Booking.com app, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK April 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this April, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. In a neat turn of phrase, Alison says: "They thought this horse would be their cash cow.". The precise circumstances of Shergar's grisly death are also revealed for the first time. Police are investigating after human remains were found in a large plastic container last week in a New Jersey neighborhood near New York City. And so it proved in the first year at stud, when it produced 35 foals. His owner Le Mare always had the dream of winning the Grand National, so Red Rum began training for his new career in steeplechasing. He flew to Belfast to negotiate at the Europa Hotel. 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. However, it is still possible to see, hundreds of feet below and stretching to the horizon, the most sparsely populated terrain in all of Ireland. He found his way to a telephone and rang his brother - this phone call led to a series of phone calls between Shergars shareholders, his vet, racing associates and several Irish Ministers. But I couldnt get my head around the horse, and it brought it back to the fact that there is a fear of somebody saying something that would get them in trouble. The question you have to ask is: why else would anyone use a pistol to shoot a racehorse? The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Gerry Reynolds, a businessman and politician who was born and brought up in Ballinamore, said: "There were always a lot of rumours that the individuals involved in the kidnapping of Don Tidey were also involved in the kidnapping of Shergar.". They did. They were so lovely and they went through such trauma. I love to think about how Secretariat is Ruffians uncle. The IRA plan was also stupid; none of the kidnappers had a clue how to handle a horse, let alone an excitable stallion. That is something we haven't got," he once said. Irelands economy was ransacked. 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. 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The sinister end to a beautiful episode in Irish sport; the freakish clash of paramilitarism and high-end horse breeding and the abrupt and sudden silence has made Shergar seem like a symbol of everything that was warped about Ireland on both sides of the Border. Shergar and Mr Fitzgerald were put inside. Many in the Republic, including broad Republican sympathisers, would never have forgiven the IRA and its political wing, Sinn Fein, for machine gunning the equine pride of the nation in cold blood. The stud farm was Ireland's main racecourse and training grounds. The Irish Sea Helped The IRA continued to pretend the horse was still alive. In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stable in Kildare, held for ransom, and brutally killed by his captors who havent been identified. An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. She still believes that there are people who have a knowledge of where the remains of the horse lie buried. He was out on the paddock with some bullocks. Sadly, Liam died suddenly before the making of the programme, but Kathryn is in no doubt he would have loved working on it, using his many contacts to bring fresh perspective to the mystery. Alan Dukes, the local MP and Irish finance minister, was then woken by a phone call from Mr Berry telling him of Shergar's kidnapping. Those who looked after and rode Shergar agree that he was one of the kindest, gentlest racehorses ever to grace the racetrack. New Book Examines Cold Case Mystery Of Epsom Derby Winner The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. . But there was an important difference between the two. Once back home, Mr Fitzgerald found his family unharmed. In coldly commercial terms, Shergar was an international commodity: breeding fees went for 80,000. Eight hours passed before detectives arrived in Ballymany. Then, pointing their guns at 58-year-old Mr Fitzgerald, they marched him across the road to the luxurious stud. He didnt so much surprise the cognoscenti as exceed their wildest expectations. They all suffered in some way. Physically, he was a distinctive beauty: the white blaze on the nose, the four white socks. If that was not bad enough insurers refused to pay him out, insisting there was no proof that the horse was, indeed, dead. 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. At least six thugs arrived at the stud farm at around 8.30pm and held Jim Fitzgerald, head groom, at gunpoint. But Prime has become a playground obsession, Belfast celebrates Deaf Awareness week with new production Expecting, Comedian Hal Cruttenden on using divorce from Derry wife as show inspiration: I did run it past her. Who is the greatest female horse of all time? Searching For Shergar will be on BBC iPlayer (Northern Ireland section) from Thursday night. Searching For Shergar, the work of Erica Starling Productions, will be shown on Sunday at 8pm on BBC2 before being repeated in Ireland on RTE1 at 9.30pm on Tuesday. Inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2011, First Down Dash is arguably the greatest race sire of all time. They forced him to release the horse, before they also took him away with them. Shergar - Wikipedia On Monday, August 8, 2022, an inmate in the Polk County Detention Center led the Polk County Sheriffs Office to skeletal remains in a shallow grave west of ", Michael Stoute, who trained the horse to win two Derbys, said: "He was the best I ever had.". Instead, they were dealing with a syndicate, most of whose insurance policies covered theft. However, Nicky Kehoe, who was also named by O'Callaghan in his book as a member of the IRA kidnap gang, denied any involvement. Two armed men forced their way into the house. Letters written by an IRA supergrass to the Belfast Telegraph's late political editor, Liam Clarke, proved pivotal in the making of a new BBC documentary on one of Ireland greatest kidnap mysteries. It was quite a character of a horse. Former IRA informer Sean O'Callaghan, who is from Co Kerry, later claimed that the horse had been killed by his abductors who were unable to handle him. The IRA has never officially claimed responsibility for stealing the beloved horse. There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". He became the first racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby starting from last place winning in under 2-minutes. He received a rapturous welcome on his homecoming to the Curragh for the Irish Derby. One idea is that the horse did have some sort of accident while in a frenzy, and the men killed him because they couldnt handle his crazed manner. He was buried at the winning post of the Aintree Racecourse, which is still a destination for his fans. As scores of British journalists descended on Co Kildare, the hunt for Shergar turned into a media circus. WebShergars body has never been recovered or identified. Why Does My Horse Bob Is Head When I Put His Bridle On? WebShergar was stolen from the Aga Khan's stud farm by an armed gang on 8 February 1983. When the news broke, media from around the world descended on the Republic and three leading racing journalists were asked to come to Northern Ireland in a phone call apparently from the kidnappers. He said the kidnappers had failed to make proper provision to look after the horse, which damaged a leg in a horsebox and proved impossible to control. In an interview given to the Telegraph in 2008, a source claimed that Shergar was machine-gunned to death by the IRA. August 26, 1984. There was widespread relief when at the end of his career, instead of being shipped to one of the large American studs as expected, Shergar was returned to his birthplace of Ireland. Mallon is described by those who know him, including former paramilitaries, as a "head case". He was astonished to find it was pierced by two bullet holes. The Aga Khan was amazing. From there, the scene moved to Maxwells farmhouse, at a remote location outside Belfast. Many sources and investigators believe that he must be buried near Aughnasheelin, near Ballinamore, County Leitrim. He remains the only horse to ever win both races in the same season. Stud fees were set at around 80,000 for each time it covered a brood mare. However, according to one impeccable source - a former IRA member who spoke through an intermediary - not even O'Callaghan had been told the full truth of Shergar's final hours, because the gang was so embarrassed by what happened. Another would not cause any attention. The Sunday Telegraph also tracked down Kevin Mallon to his seafront home in Howth, eight miles from Dublin city centre. Fitzgerald was then forced into their car at gunpoint. "No horse deserves an ending like that - let alone one as special as Shergar.. 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. It is also unlikely that any provision was made for kidnapping in other insurance for the horse.". There was lots of cussing and swearing because the horse wouldn't die. Mr Foley, who still has the head, said he had not yet been to the police about the discovery, but planned to do so soon. At his home, Jim Fitzgerald was dismayed when I broke the news about exactly how the horse he had cared for had died. Olly Murs breaks down on stage over Caroline Flack 'regret', Fulham's Pereira stretchered off with suspected broken leg in worrying scenes, One dead and seven injured as knifeman goes on bloody rampage near club, 'Meghan killed me - then she mourns me', says estranged dad Thomas Markle, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Searching for Shergar, BBC One Northern Ireland, Thursday, June 7, Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening, Please check your inbox to verify your details, I thought Id be hauled over the coals, but my boss suggested I see a doctor. However, she has happier memories of making the documentary. Strange but true: Vanilla Ice to tell the mysterious tale of Shergar In 2004, he vowed never to talk about the incident again, but Alison managed to get him to speak to camera. Just sort of go out there and do your best. Vanilla Ice: loves his racing, baby BBC Vanilla Ice said: I love horses, I love watching them. There was a lot of shrugging and shaking of heads, while Martin Kenny, a Sinn Fein councillor for the town, said: "I have never heard anyone say they knew where Shergar was buried or what happened to him.". 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. 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. The lad with me is a farmer's son, and he knew immediately that the skull came from a racehorse. Among others, one reason the investigation was so difficult for authorities was because the kidnappers had chosen the day before Irelands big Goffs racehorse sale to abduct Shergar, when many horseboxes were being driven across all of Irelands roads, thereby making it hard to differentiate him. Alison has no doubt. WebShergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. Another engaged a trio of racing correspondents from London to travel to the Europa Hotel in Belfast to await further instructions. 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. 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. Human remains found at Rutgers-Newark? Officials expected this Shergar won at a canter and the chief anticipation at Epsom was whether the sensational three-year-old and his young jockey would handle the enormous expectation. "Two years earlier, supermarket owner Ben Dunne was kidnapped by the IRA and a ransom was paid. He was a 25/1 shout for the Derby after trainer Michael Stoute decided to prepare him after his maiden season in 1980. The organisation would never admit culpability but Sean OCallaghan, the IRA commander and police informer, in interviews named those he said carried out the act. His US Triple Crown performances ingrained his place in history. Horses are often Read more, Horsehair is used for the crafts of horsehair hitching, horsehair braiding, pottery, and in making jewelry items such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings and barrettes. I remember Willie Carson it was Willie he bumped said that it was nothing afterwards.. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Epsom was wreathed in flowers and goodwill and a delight among the crowd at witnessing racing aristocracy: a rare champion, as much vision as animal. But even around the area where the horses remains are alleged to be . of Shergar. All that energy, all that life. From 31 crops to race, First Down Dash has sired 1,462 winners, which includes 258 stakes winners. Something went wrong, please try again later. He was expected to be a source of profit for the syndicate which owned him. Some believe the IRA snatched the horse, as they were looking for new sources of funding around the same time. The kidnappers shrewdly chose their date to coincide with a horse sale at Goffs; the verdant roads were teeming with horse trailers. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. The kidnappers were told that further proof of Shergars wellbeing was needed. A mystery man said he had information the horse was still alive and he could pinpoint where it was being held. Shergar, a beloved thoroughbred An Irish police spokesman said they had appealed for Mr Foley to come forward immediately so the find could be investigated.
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