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Ive made some really hard films. Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the IRA, and the US Mafia have all been suggested. Shergar is insured for nearly 4 million, only a fraction of his value. 1 Ruffian. He was thought to have a long and distinguished stud career ahead of him. The source said that the two handlers, one clutching a machine gun, went into the remote stable where the horse was being held and opened fire. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Jim Fitzgerald, a father of six, was forced at gunpoint to Shergars stable where they were joined by six more masked gunmen. She spent months getting to know them. How much should we talk about our private life at work? By now there were up to eight gunmen on the scene. 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. And so, the greatest racehorse of the century was butchered in the same way that the IRA killed many of its human enemies. Alison has no doubt. In an interview given to the Telegraph in 2008, a source claimed that Shergar was machine-gunned to death by the IRA. Native Dancer became so popular that his blood began to dominate the Thoroughbred breed. 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. Tommy Foley, from Tralee in Co Kerry, said he found the remains of the The hunt for Shergar created a huge media storm - everyone in the UK and Ireland were hell-bent on getting him back, and the Dublin police had offered an over $150,000 reward for his return. And when I was looking at this horse, I was thinking: why is there such silence and controversy? The question you have to ask is: why else would anyone use a pistol to shoot a racehorse? 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. Shergar was so far out of sight that John Matthias, riding the second-placed Glint of Gold, admitted that in the tumult he was convinced hed won the race. "When I saw the names he mentioned, I knew right away that what he was saying in the letters was right," she says. 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). Wed seen her hair was cut, her hair was dyed, Ellie said during her 60 Minutes exclusive on Sunday. Staff assigned to look after Shergar, valued at 20million, were not in his centrally-heated security stable. Shergar Indeed, it could well have been from the weapon used to terrorise the groom's family until the gang made their getaway. It is believed that an IRA gang took him at a time when kidnappings were plentiful. No-one has ever admitted the theft of Shergar. According to OCallaghan, Shergar had become agitated during transport, badly damaging a leg. In 1999, former IRA gunman Sen O'Callaghan published his memoirs, The Informer. Home Horse How Many Horses Did Shergar Sire? Mr Kehoe, a former Sinn Fein councillor, said he had not sued O'Callaghan because nobody believed him: "He was working for both sides - that's as much as you need to know about what he has to say.". Published by Jennifer Webster on November 28, 2022. 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. The other - "a very senior IRA man" - agreed to talk to her off the record. "I would love to see this mystery resolved so that we all knew what happened to the horse's remains. 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. Aghrasheeling translates as "meadow of the fairies", but are people still spinning fairy stories? Human remains discovered in a plastic container left on a street in 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. 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. Alison, through her old-fashioned journalistic techniques of following up every lead, gained interviews with two leading IRA figures, one of whom appears in the film. So Lester Piggott, even then the doyen of flat racing, and jockey for Shergars first maiden race at Newbury, stepped in as Shergar swept the field in the Irish Derby, allowing broadcaster Michael OHehir to exclaim on television: Hes winning it so easily! 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. 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. 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. The bay colt was owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader to 15 million Ismaili Muslims. Rather than leave the horse, they killed it. I did find though that people honestly didnt want to talk about it. A source told the paper: "Shergar was machine gunned to death. 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. It was a very bloody death." There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. And she further uncovered a piece of evidence hitherto unknown to the public - that the kidnap gang dropped a magazine from a sub-machine-gun when fleeing from the stud farm. . Early in his three-year-old season, Shergar won the race then known as the Guardian Classic Trial at Sandown Park. The stallion had a white blaze mark on his face, four white "socks" and a distinctive racing style of running with his tongue hanging out - he was gentle, calm and kind. . From 31 crops to race, First Down Dash has sired 1,462 winners, which includes 258 stakes winners. Predictably, the residents claimed to know nothing about Shergar's whereabouts before or after he was killed. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. At least six thugs arrived at the stud farm at around 8.30pm and held Jim Fitzgerald, head groom, at gunpoint. But Ballinamore has form. From there, the scene moved to Maxwells farmhouse, at a remote location outside Belfast. I doubt anyone has been there for years. Mr Cosgrove, in turn, rang his friend, former Army officer Captain Sean Berry. Negotiations were conducted with the thieves, but the gang broke off all communication 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. "Conway was able to confirm to me that these were not coincidental events, but part of a strategy by the Provisional IRA to raise much-needed money for arms. Tests carried out at the Irish Equine Centre, in County Kildare, found the skull belonged to a much younger horse than the racing legend was when he was abducted. Shergar's former jockey Walter Swinburn, who rode Shergar at his famous race, was distressed by the findings. "These were letters which set out not only what happened to Shergar, but also referred to the kidnapping of people.". The IRA's operations were heavily disrupted as every known Republican stronghold and safe house was raided in the hunt for the horse which, in turn, led to the seizure of several arms caches. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. They warned Mr Fitzgerald not to inform the police and said they would be in touch at noon yesterday with more details. But Richard Baerlein, the canny racing correspondent, was so convinced after witnessing Shergar and Swinburn cruise to a 10-length victory at Sandown in April 1981 that he urged punters to get in while the going was good. Ill never forget it. 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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. Searching for Shergar: BBC documentary recalls dramatic tale More importantly, he was also able to confirm a number of different details.". No one has ever admitted responsibility for the incident, and the remains of the horse have never been found. Thats it.. Stan Cosgrove presented himself but with the hotel heavily staked by plain clothes police officers, no kidnappers appeared. Shergar: The day the wonder horse was stolen - BBC News Although there was some dissent, the members of the syndicate owning shares in Shergar refused to countenance paying over any money and, shortly afterwards, all contact was ended and the mystery deepened. 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. "A vet has confirmed that the holes in the skull are pistol-shots. Instead, Mallon ordered that the horse be shot. But it wasnt just any horse. I hope one day we can get to the bottom of what happend. By far the most popular set of events is that the horse, worth 10million in 1983, was taken for ransom by the IRA thinking it was owned by the fabulously wealthy Aga Khan who would pay a fortune to get the champion back. The proud former groom still has framed photographs of Shergar in his hall and living room. 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. He said the scene that greeted him at Belfast airport was unreal: "It was like being a film star. The family was in Ireland and made a detour to Ballymany one afternoon for a quick visit. Read about 10 more mysterious disappearances . the gang and the Aga Khan. The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. 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. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never O'Callaghan suggested the horse had thrown itself into a frenzy, injured a leg and that it was put out of its misery and "was killed within days even though the IRA kept up the pretence that he was alive". Shergar won the Espom Derby in England in 1981, romping home by ten lengths, which still remains the record for the longest margin of victory in the famous race. Shergar was voted European Racehorse of the Year, but he never raced again and was retired to stud. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. In 2018, the Belfast-based documentary maker succeeded in making a film, Searching for Shergar, which is at once a warm evocation of his splendid life and an examination of the eerie void left by the manner of his death. A decade ago Sean O'Callaghan, an IRA double killer turned police double agent, used his book, The Informer, to name seven former Provos he claimed had planned and carried out the horse's kidnap. Members of the 34-share syndicate could face huge losses if he is damaged. The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. A sign on a railing leading to the stud read: "Please close the gate.". Police said the kidnappers did just that after driving away with their prize. "We are keen to find Shergar. The IRA plan was naive: they assumed they were blackmailing the Aga Khan for a ransom of 2 million. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. Thompson is When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, he refused to discuss the case. Doreen Swinburn cant remember the precise date, but Walter Swinburn did, at least, get another chance to say hello to Shergar far away from the thrilling crowds. In 2004, he vowed never to talk about the incident again, but Alison managed to get him to speak to camera. Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. 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