remains found shergar

And so it proved in the first year at stud, when it produced 35 foals. The kidnappers had agreed to negotiate with a man named Derek Thompson who had worked for ITVs racing team. We want 2 million [ransom] for him," one said. Taking Shergar, the first title in the new series, Horses in History, examines this oft-discussed mystery in a new way. 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. 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. Years later, there were still whispers that Shergar was alive and secretly producing foals whose breeding lines could never be divulged. Bold Ruler. Hunter discovers skeletal remains of N.J. man missing for months 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. The next day, another call came through with the following message: The horse has had an accident. He rang the stud manager, Ghislain Drion, who then phoned Shergar's vet, Stan Cosgrove, who had also bought a share in the horse. Thompson received a phone call the next day from the kidnappers - they said, "The horse has had an accident. But no contact was made. The bay colt was owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader to 15 million Ismaili Muslims, was trained by Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket and was ridden by the "choirboy", an angelic looking 19-year-old jockey called Walter Swinburn, who now trains in Britain. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. the gang and the Aga Khan. Negotiations with the kidnappers continued for four days and a Polaroid photograph was provided, showing Shergar and an up-to-date copy of the Irish Times before the kidnappers suddenly fell silent. 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. Sporting Controversies: The brutal, sad and mysterious tale of One group took the horse. When it comes to breeding, there are multiple ranch and Quarter horse bloodlines famous for producing top-quality horses. 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. An armed gang who stole Shergar, winner of the 1981 Derby from the Aga Khan's Irish stud on Tuesday night told a captive groom at the time that they would be demanding 2 million for his safe return. It was a sort of exasperation: oh, you dont want to talk about that horse. Shergars owners reportedly refused to give in to the two million pound ransom demand for fear of setting a precedent. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Published by Jennifer Webster on November 28, 2022. 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. There are several ideas pertaining to what happened to Shergar. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. File photograph: Matt Kavanagh. He was astonished to find it was pierced by two bullet holes. It is then believed, and the claim is repeated in a documentary on BBC One in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, that the remains were buried in a bog. They promised more details at noon Yesterday. He was stolen at night along with his groom, who was held at gunpoint in the horse van before being released 20 miles away. There was lots of cursing and swearing because the horse wouldnt die. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Kidnapped racehorse Shergar was the centre of a 2 million ransom mystery last night. Shergar, 40 years on: Codenames, kidnap, clairvoyants and a In the wake of the kidnapping, he was the victim of a scam in which the Garda appears not to have been blameless and which cost him many thousands of pounds. 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. 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". Red Rum died on 18 October 1995, aged 30. It was not until about 4am that the Garda was alerted - and one of the biggest security operations in the Republic's history swung into action. 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. Red Rum did not have any foals. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. Some believe the IRA snatched the horse, as they were looking for new sources of funding around the same time. 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. The stud farm was Ireland's main racecourse and training grounds. Our inquiries led photographer Julian Andrews and me to Ballinamore, a town in Co Leitrim once known as "the Falls Road of the South" because of its support for the Provos. Piggott was not a man given to excessive emotion but of Shergar he said late in his life: He was one of the best horses of the last hundred years. The kidnappers shrewdly chose their date to coincide with a horse sale at Goffs; the verdant roads were teeming with horse trailers. Here we look back on how the Mirror reported the crime at the time. No. Did They Trade Horses In The Columbian Exchange? I found that really hard to understand. I found that really strange. Another engaged a trio of racing correspondents from London to travel to the Europa Hotel in Belfast to await further instructions. 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. "There is a possibility that it was him because when Shergar was abducted there was a Kerry connection.". Those who looked after and rode Shergar agree that he was one of the kindest, gentlest racehorses ever to grace the racetrack. It was several minutes before Shergar bled to death. "These were letters which set out not only what happened to Shergar, but also referred to the kidnapping of people.". They all suffered in some way. 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. Its Shergar first . Shergar Several owners are understood to have failed to win insurance payouts because, with no body ever found, there was no proof that the stallion was dead. 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 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.". In 2004, he vowed never to talk about the incident again, but Alison managed to get him to speak to camera. The IRA has never officially claimed responsibility for stealing the beloved horse. Stud fees were set at around 80,000 for each time it covered a brood mare. 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. 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. Man o War. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". 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 said the scene that greeted him at Belfast airport was unreal: "It was like being a film star. And when I was looking at this horse, I was thinking: why is there such silence and controversy? 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. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The Boomtown Rats released Banana Republic. The plot, hairbrained as it turned out, was to gain a ransom for the record-breaking Epsom Derby winner. Case of the Stolen Racehorse The proud former groom still has framed photographs of Shergar in his hall and living room. "A clue? An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. Eventually, he walked to the next village and rang his brother. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. But the next year - when 55 mares were lined up to breed from Shergar - everything changed. 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. Vanilla Ice: loves his racing, baby BBC Vanilla Ice said: I love horses, I love watching them. Shergar, a beloved thoroughbred Following this triumph, he had four more major derby wins and was named European Horse of the Year. And Walter was just an excellent horseman.. More are on the way. In June 1981 he threw his stable lad and bolted during a workout at Newmarket. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never 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. He had been preparing for his second season as a breeding stallion, the BBC said. 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. All that energy, all that life. I had never been in the horse racing world before. The kidnappers had chosen the day before Ireland's major Goff's racehorse sale - when horse boxes were being driven the length and breadth of the country - to abduct Shergar, thereby making it more difficult for the stallion to be found. "I can still remember that night in that car with them lads. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. At least six thugs arrived at the stud farm at around 8.30pm and held Jim Fitzgerald, head groom, at gunpoint. But even around the area where the horses remains are alleged to be . Shergar's former jockey Walter Swinburn was distressed by the paper's findings. It was a very bloody death.. Shergar has vanished before, but only briefly. The Irish Sea Helped It was several hours before the Garda were informed, but by then there were no clues. Shergar's memorable ten-length Epsom Derby victory of 1981. of Shergar. What did Cleo sMITHs abductor do to her? If there was a silence, it was because there is no true answer to the question: why would anyone do such a thing? No one has ever admitted responsibility for the incident, and the remains of the horse have never been found. but he had a great head that way. 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. 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. Co Leitrim, which even now has a population of just 26,000, has kept many secrets during the 30 years of the Troubles. Next Wednesday (8th of Feb) is the 29th Anniversary of the It was the time of horse sales in the area and the roads were full of horseboxes. 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. The horse was the easiest modern-day winner of the Epsom Derby. "There Was Blood Everywhere": What Really Happened to Shergar He was buried at the winning post of the Aintree Racecourse, which is still a destination for his fans. Shergar was valued at 10million when he disappeared. Four days after the kidnap, a last phone call came through to Paris. What happened to Shergar, when was he kidnapped and where She laughs at the memory before another thought occurs. No horse has ever recorded a greater winning margin in the famous race. Just sort of go out there and do your best. 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.". When proof was eventually presented, it was flimsy: a photo of Shergars head with a copy of a Belfast newspaper from February 9th held against it. 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. Millars research brought her to Leitrim and the wild landscape outside Ballinamore. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. It is 35 years since Derby winner Shergar was horse-napped from the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. Why CanT I Take My Horse Into Gerudo Desert? He said: "If Shergar is harmed in any way it will do untold damage to the whole bloodstock industry. The Begum Aga Khan with Shergar after his victory in the Irish Sweeps Derby at the Curragh on June 29th, 1981. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! I remember Willie Carson it was Willie he bumped said that it was nothing afterwards.. New Book Examines Cold Case Mystery Of Epsom Derby Winner (modern). Native Dancer became so popular that his blood began to dominate the Thoroughbred breed. Security was very lax.". He was expected to be a source of profit for the syndicate which owned him. It was believed Shergar valued at 10m was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. I love to think about how Secretariat is Ruffians uncle. 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. Shergar was kidnapped from the Ballymany Stud on February 9 1983. 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. Irelands economy was ransacked. He's dead." "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. 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. The truth about Shergar racehorse kidnapping - The Telegraph He was a 25/1 shout for the Derby after trainer Michael Stoute decided to prepare him after his maiden season in 1980. The book identified Kevin Mallon, a senior IRA leader, as the man who had devised the plot. 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. Who is the greatest female horse of all time? It is used to make some wall and fine arts paintbrushes. 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. Police said the kidnappers did just that after driving away with their prize. Swinburn was suspended, because of an infringement. On the night of February 8th masked gunmen invaded the family home of Jim Fitzgerald, the retired chief groom at Ballymany and a father of six children, took him hostage and brought him to Ballymany. Someone has daubed "PIRA [Provisional IRA]" in purple crayon on his white garden wall. . His owner Le Mare always had the dream of winning the Grand National, so Red Rum began training for his new career in steeplechasing. It was a very bloody death.". Hes dead.. When proof of the horses wellbeing was required, the kidnappers instructed someone to go to the Crofton Hotel and report to the front desk as Johnny Logan. Human remains discovered in a plastic container left on a street in It is also unlikely that any provision was made for kidnapping in other insurance for the horse.". She still believes that there are people who have a knowledge of where the remains of the horse lie buried. Shergar was retired to stud at the end of its Derby-winning year and immediately became the most valuable horse at that time. Theories over who had kidnapped Shergar have been plentiful. 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Two armed men forced their way into the house. A gorgeous few minutes of television interview exists with Walter Swinburn, utterly unflappable and just 19 when he rode Shergar to victory. Shergar 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. Conspiracy theories soon abounded over who had kidnapped the horse. Well, if youre not satisfied, came the reply. Walter Swinburn on Shergar after his runaway victory in the Epsom Derby in 1981. Tom Foley, an independent member of Kerry county council, found the skull of a racehorse in a deserted gully near Tralee last Saturday. 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 flew to Belfast to negotiate at the Europa Hotel. Searching For Shergar will be on BBC iPlayer (Northern Ireland section) from Thursday night. The man leading the hunt said: "I do not believe any ransom will be paid, and police will block any attempt to pay one.". solve mystery of who kidnapped Shergar Well, I would say, somebody knows. I never at any stage thought he was worried. Red Rum was passed from training yard to training yard until he found his footing with his new trainer McCain. After failed attempts to demand money for the stallion, gentle Shergar was brutally killed and his body was never found. They have narrowed the field, in a manner of speaking, down to a small townland called Aughrasheeling, not far from Ballinamore, and less than 10 miles from the Northern Ireland border. The kidnappers were told that further proof of Shergars wellbeing was needed. Don Tidey, an Irish businessman, was found alive in woods near the town after being kidnapped by the IRA at the end of 1983, months after Shergar's disappearance. She lives in Newmarket in England. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. WebShergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. 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. 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. Shergar's skull 'found in ditch' - The Independent It was believed Shergar valued at 10m was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. They contained names of people in the racing industry, which I knew were accurate from my own research, and that gave me great confidence in what he was saying. But this turned out to be an elaborate hoax and the real negotiations were going on between. A common belief is that Shergars remains are buried somewhere in that region of the country. 1 Ruffian. The events of February 1983 threatened that ecosystem. "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. Investors thought it was a licence to print money. We want $3 million for him.". Swinburn would ride two other Derby winners but his surname and glittering career will always be associated with that of Shergar. 8 Incredible Facts About Red Rum (Records, Stats, Foals This vivid image of how Shergar died confirmed the worst fears of one of the most senior figures in Irish racing. His five victories that season included the Irish Derby and Ascot's prestige King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. After Shergar won the 202nd Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby in 1981, the five-year-old Irish-bred retired. Mr Foley, who used to enjoy betting on Shergar, said yesterday: "I found the skull in a sack hidden behind a rock in a dip. You can call me Arkle from now on, a voice told ITVs Derek Thompson when the phone eventually rang at 1.15 in the morning. "An operation of this intensity requiring this amount of manpower would have to have been authorised at a high level," he said. It was believed Shergar - valued at 10m - was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. 'He was a very kind horse. 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. According to OCallaghan, Shergar had become agitated during transport, badly damaging a leg. Along with triple Grand National winner Red Rum, it remains probably the most famous horse to come out of Europe in the last century. From there, the scene moved to Maxwells farmhouse, at a remote location outside Belfast. Taking the horse was relatively simple and the details were recounted in newspaper reports that circulated around the world in the days afterwards. But he wanted his champion to stand at his Irish stud. A common belief is that Shergars remains are buried somewhere in that region of the country. 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. He was expected to be a source of profit for the syndicate which owned him. Where is Shergar? became a sort of cliche of the time, along with Who Shot JR?, the smiling villain from the TV show Dallas. About 100 cameramen and journalists were in or outside the Europa Hotel as Thompson and his co-negotiators arrived.

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