"There were two bullet holes in the head and it was definitely a racehorse's head," he said. But he wanted his champion to stand at his Irish stud. 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 More importantly, he was also able to confirm a number of different details.". 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 bungled ransom attempt that led to his demise. They warned Mr Fitzgerald not to inform the police and said they would be in touch at noon yesterday with more details. He made it look so easy. Speculation is that they were unable to handle the stallion and shot him before he ran wild on them. and the rest are nowhere. 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. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. He was born in Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. She spent months getting to know them. Collectively it had been decided not to pay the ransom because they figured if they had, every racehorse in the world would be in danger, as many of them were worth over a million pounds (1.5 million dollars) and Ireland had lacked adequate security. Until a decade ago this was "bandit country", the remote hills and marshlands from where the IRA and its supporters smuggled arms over the border and planned their raids on the security forces in Northern Ireland. An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. There is a general acceptance of who was behind the kidnapping of Shergar. The kidnap strategy was divided into three parts. However, she has happier memories of making the documentary. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. He rang the stud manager, Ghislain Drion, who then phoned Shergar's vet, Stan Cosgrove, who had also bought a share in the horse. 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. After failed attempts to demand money for the stallion, gentle Shergar was brutally killed and his body was never found. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. From 31 crops to race, First Down Dash has sired 1,462 winners, which includes 258 stakes winners. A series of phone calls was made, ultimately to Stan Cosgrove, the renowned equine vet and a shareholder in Shergar and to Alan Dukes, the Kildare TD and then minister for finance. Conspiracy theories soon abounded over who had kidnapped the horse. 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. Shergar would be easily recognisable among other horses from the distinctive big white blaze on his face and three white socks. Hes with his father Wally; boyish, serious, not remotely fazed. As scores of British journalists descended on Co Kildare, the hunt for Shergar turned into a media circus. In 2004, he vowed never to talk about the incident again, but Alison managed to get him to speak to camera. By now there were up to eight gunmen on the scene. Senior IRA leader Kevin Mallon is thought to be the man who devised the plot. He was caught five miles away by fireman Andy Sheldrick. They approached several locals, but each time was stonewalled when the conversation turned to the horse. However, by then Mallon was under surveillance, the Garda were crawling all over Ireland and he felt it was impossible to move Shergar or free the horse close to where it was being held. The abduction sparked a massive hunt, but, according to a former IRA terrorist, Sean O'Callaghan, Shergar was killed within days. 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. "There is a possibility that it was him because when Shergar was abducted there was a Kerry connection.". Some believe the IRA snatched the horse, as they were looking for new sources of funding around the same time. but he had a great head that way. 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. Then, after the Shergar fiasco, another supermarket boss, Don Tidey, was also kidnapped and a ransom demanded. "People know where Shergar is buried, but the rehearsed silence is unbreakable.". Police were 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. They demanded a 5m ransom from the syndicate owning the horse, which included the Aga Khan. Eight hours passed before detectives arrived in Ballymany. Unlike today, there were no electronic security gates, CCTV cameras or an intercom to gain access - even though the horses inside were sometimes worth millions of pounds each. It is also unlikely that any provision was made for kidnapping in other insurance for the horse.". 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. Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. But detectives admitted they know nothing yet about the gang. In coldly commercial terms, Shergar was an international commodity: breeding fees went for 80,000. What has been discovered almost definitively, according to a close course, was that two handlers, one clutching a machine gun, went into the remote stable where the horse was being held and opened fire. Thieves stole a life-size statue of the triple Grand National winner, Red Rum, from a house in East Meon, Hampshire. What happened next is not for the fainthearted. In a rare and exclusive interview last week, Mr Fitzgerald, now 78, frail and with a full head of white hair, quietly recalled the most terrifying moment of his life, as he was driven away from the stud by three armed men. There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. He refused to entertain the idea of bowing to the kidnappers' demands. 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.". Shergar's former jockey Walter Swinburn was distressed by the paper's findings. 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. A gate leading to the stud was unguarded and unlocked when the gunmen arrived at 8.30 on Tuesday night. But as hopes faded, the late Detective Chief Superintendent James Murphy, who was leading the inquiry, uttered the immortal line: "If we find the body, we will treat it like any other murder investigation.". In an apparent bid to receive a pay out, jailed IRA His five victories that season included the Irish Derby and Ascot's prestige King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Shergar was hailed as the greatest racehorse of all time when he won the 1981 Epsom Derby. But even around the area where the horses remains are alleged to be . 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. An armed gang who stole Shergar, winner of the 1981 Derby from the Aga 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. A convicted killer from Co. Tyrone, he eventually became part of IRA folklore after shooting his way out of one prison and being lifted by helicopter from another. The Unsolved Mystery of Shergar According to the BBC, The body has never been found. He opened it to find two men wearing balaclavas wielding guns - one of them said, We have come for Shergar. The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. Nobody has ever been charged with the theft. And Walter was laughing. In an apparent bid to receive a pay out, jailed IRA informant Seon O'Callagan claimed the horse died within 24 hours. His reluctance to talk is understandable. She still believes that there are people who have a knowledge of where the remains of the horse lie buried. 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. He flew to Belfast to negotiate at the Europa Hotel. Read about 10 more mysterious disappearances . 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". He was astonished to find it was pierced by two bullet holes. But it was a wonderful day and he rode a lovely competent race. Forty years on, the taking of Shergar remains such a bizarre and shameful episode in Irish history that it only makes sense when set against the lush scenes and ecstatic cheering of his immortal season. The IRA plan was naive: they assumed they were blackmailing the Aga Khan for a ransom of 2 million. No horse has ever recorded a greater winning margin in the famous race. 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). There, he was syndicated for 10 million (40 shares worth 250,000 each, six of which were kept by the Aga Khan) to stand at stud. He received a rapturous welcome on his homecoming to the Curragh for the Irish Derby. 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 plot, hairbrained as it turned out, was to gain a ransom for the record-breaking Epsom Derby winner. Or the detective who did his best in a situation that became crazy. It is used to make some wall and fine arts paintbrushes. In this case, the Read more. Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. "When I saw the names he mentioned, I knew right away that what he was saying in the letters was right," she says. 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Millars research brought her to Leitrim and the wild landscape outside Ballinamore. I did find though that people honestly didnt want to talk about it. He said he had long suspected that the horse, in the hands of non-experts, had met a lingering death "crazed with pain". The bay colt was owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader to 15 million Ismaili Muslims. When I was making the Disappeared with Darragh McIntyre, there was a genuine fear about things from the past. From there, the scene moved to Maxwells farmhouse, at a remote location outside Belfast. . Rutgers is studying the fragments to determine exactly what was found on the site of long-abandoned church. The groom was blindfolded and forced to lie on the floor as the gang drove away. Tommy Foley, from Tralee in Co Kerry, said he found the remains of the stallion's skull last Saturday during an annual clean up of a glen outside the West Ireland town. Nothing more was heard from them again. Remains were never found, and what happened to the horse has never been known. . Man o War. 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. 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. I love to think about how Secretariat is Ruffians uncle. Police have now passed the skull to the Garda team at Naas, in Co Kildare, which is responsible for the inquiry into the disappearance of Shergar in 1983. Another would not cause any attention. Because horses can get pushed out or knocked back and things happen in races . A gorgeous few minutes of television interview exists with Walter Swinburn, utterly unflappable and just 19 when he rode Shergar to victory. He loaded Shergar into the horsebox the men had brought with them. Other members of the gang backed up a van. Shergars owners reportedly refused to give in to the two million pound ransom demand for fear of setting a precedent. Part of the mythology of Shergar is that he descended upon flat racing like a comet. The precise circumstances of Shergar's grisly death are also revealed for the first time. They lived in that other world.. Yes. "His wife had found out what he was up to and warned him that if he walked out of the door [to look after Shergar] he would never walk in again," said the source. There was lots of cursing and swearing because the horse wouldnt die. The IRA has privately tried to blame renegade members for the kidnap, but Kevin O'Connor, a historian and journalist with top Republican contacts, dismisses this idea. Rumors abound that the horse was killed just a few hours after the abduction, but the true fate of the horse remains unknown. "It's just three miles from Tralee and it would be a place where you would conceal the remains unseen for years. The horse was much-loved and a celebrity in itself, and was a five-year old embarking on his second year out to stud when three armed men wearing masks burst into Ballymany threatening the head groom Jim Fitzgerald and his family. Something went wrong, please try again later. Lord Lucan and the Mafia In 2008, the Sunday Telegraph took a closer look at the cold ", Michael Stoute, who trained the horse to win two Derbys, said: "He was the best I ever had.". What Colors Can Rocky Mountain Horses Be? Years later, there were still whispers that Shergar was alive and secretly producing foals whose breeding lines could never be divulged. However, Nicky Kehoe, who was also named by O'Callaghan in his book as a member of the IRA kidnap gang, denied any involvement. In June 1981 he threw his stable lad and bolted during a workout at Newmarket. 35 foals. Jockey Walter Swinburn, who rode Shergar in most of his races, was in India yesterday and had not been told about the horse's disappearance. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? It is believed that an IRA gang took him at a time when kidnappings were plentiful. Shergar's memorable ten-length Epsom Derby victory of 1981. More are on the way. One said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The search for the last resting place of Shergar It was the world's most famous racehorse when it was kidnapped by an armed IRA gang in 1983 and Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. A retired milkman from south-west Ireland believes he may have solved the greatest mystery in the history of horse racing after spending Grand National day cleaning up a beauty spot. She draws out of her handbag during our interview a horseshoe given to her by the retired farrier who used to shoe Shergar every month. It was believed Shergar - valued at 10m - was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. The body has never been found. The man leading the hunt said: "I do not believe any ransom will be paid, and police will block any attempt to pay one.". We do not even know what kind of accents they spoke with.". Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. In 1981 he ran in six races, winning five of them. Furthermore, a prominent Provo-supporting family used to live in the village of Aughnasheelan, three miles from Ballinamore, which is surrounded by deep bogs where a horse's body could easily be hidden. 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. 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. I think Wally and [trainer] Michael Stoute not me, I can assure you, I was the one who was in bits were very good with him. At gunpoint they led Mr Fitzgerald's wife and their five children into one room and locked the door. of Shergar. No-one has ever admitted the theft of Shergar. Secretariat was buried in a 6 by 6-foot oak casket lined with orange silk, the color used by Claibornes racing stables. Shergar was five years old and preparing for his second season as a breeding stallion when he was snatched from the Ballymany Stud in Co Kildare - just a stone's throw from The Curragh racetrack - on a foggy winter's evening. "We want 2 million if you want the horse back in one piece," they said. By David Remnick. If there was a silence, it was because there is no true answer to the question: why would anyone do such a thing? "A vet has confirmed that the holes in the skull are pistol-shots. He became the first racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby starting from last place winning in under 2-minutes. She laughs at the memory before another thought occurs. "A clue? 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. After Shergar won the 202nd Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby in 1981, the five-year-old Irish-bred retired. Bold Ruler. But his disappearance remains a mystery. Stan Cosgrove, now 81, who spent more than 80,000 trying to get the horse back and, later, in trying to prove that Shergar was dead, has never received a penny. I found that really hard to understand. As his son, Bernard, answered it, three masked and armed men barged their way in and started ordering the family around. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The truth about Shergar racehorse kidnapping By Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter examiner.co.uk 27 Jan 2008 It is 25 years since a world-famous racehorse was kidnapped by the IRA, never to be seen again. Laurence White reports. Of course, the world kept turning and Ireland was beset by problems more profound than a disappeared horse. What is known, however, is that the horse was a star on the track and at the center of one of the biggest crime mysteries in Ireland during the 1980s. A shocked Mr Fitzgerald was able to give only a rough outline of the raid. Then How many races did Shergar lose? They did. Wed seen her hair was cut, her hair was dyed, Ellie said during her 60 Minutes exclusive on Sunday. When she spoke with people, she found them friendly but reticent to speak about her chief subject. Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 13 November 2006), known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. It was a very bloody death.. They all suffered in some way. His owner Le Mare always had the dream of winning the Grand National, so Red Rum began training for his new career in steeplechasing. They forced him to release the horse, before they also took him away with them. But there was an important difference between the two. But on that day in June 1981, the pair owned the day. After driving him around for three hours, the kidnappers dumped Fitzgerald out of the car. Others said he had been seized for Colonel Gaddafi of Libya in return for arms to the IRA. 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. As the hunt for Shergar continued on both sides of the border, the gang's background was still a mystery. In February 1983, "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. Were William Butler Yeats alive, his passion for Celtic myth and legend would seize upon the story of Shergar. That is certainly not the case around Ballinamore. The precise nature of how Shergar was killed has never been definitively established, the same as how much of what happened to the record-breaking Derby 'He was a very kind horse. If we can show it is possible to identity him after all this time it may deter other people from kidnapping horses," he said. 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. Now a new BBC One Northern Ireland documentary reveals the thoroughbred is likely buried in a desolate bog in Co Leitrim. How much should we talk about our private life at work? All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. If that was not bad enough insurers refused to pay him out, insisting there was no proof that the horse was, indeed, dead. His son, James, an insurance claims expert and a family friend, knowing of O'Callaghan's information on the kidnapping, went to visit him in jail in Northern Ireland and, even though he passed on letters saying Shergar was dead, these were not accepted as proof. 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. 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. Four hours later he was released, still blindfolded but unharmed, near Dublin. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. What did Cleo sMITHs abductor do to her? Police have now passed the skull to the Garda team at Naas, in Co Kildare, which is responsible for the It is speculated that he is likely buried on the property of an IRA veteran, which would make gaining approval or permission to dig for remains almost impossible. Named Horse of the Year in 1957, Bold Ruler was the first stallion whose offspring won more than $2 million in one season. Shergar ran just eight races in his short life, winning six times. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. His death was one of the lead items in television news bulletins and also made the front pages of national newspapers the next day. A quarter of a century ago, the Ballymany Stud was shielded from the outside world by a five-bar wooden gate with a latch. Negotiations were conducted with the thieves, but the gang broke off all communication I understand that. Shortly after 8.30pm on February 8, 1983, Jim Fitzgerald, then 53, the head groom who lived at the stud, heard a knock on his door. I remember Willie Carson it was Willie he bumped said that it was nothing afterwards.. Home Horse How Many Horses Did Shergar Sire? In a neat turn of phrase, Alison says: "They thought this horse would be their cash cow.". "I was there with a farmer's son and he said it was not an ordinary horse.". Shergar amassed 295,000 in prize money in 1981 under Stoute's careful handling. 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.
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