When racehorse Shergar was kidnapped in early 1983 it caused a media sensation; Shergar was a real superstar of the racing world having not just won the Epsom Derby of two years previously, he absolutely ran away with it. Owned by the Aga Khan, his career was short but extremely successful, notching up impressive wins in the English and Irish derbies, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. He was retired to stud, with the Aga Khan having sold shares in the horse to a select few others, but managed only one season before he was kidnapped, with the owners pinning the blame for the kidnapping on the Provisional IRA.
The mystery of what happened to Shergar has never been solved; the kidnappers were hoping for a huge ransom fee but it soon became clear the owners had no intention of paying any sort of ransom, since they felt that if this kidnap had succeeded then others would have tried the same thing. With a horse on their hands which they had no experience of handling, and a feeling that they would have been found out sooner rather than later, it is widely believed that they simply killed and disposed of the horse. A sad tale with no winners; the kidnappers got nothing and only succeeded in turning a nation against them, as Shergar was a celebrity in Ireland where he was kept, as well as in Britain for his devastating win at Epsom.
A short feature on the kidnapping of Shergar:
See Shergar's runaway victory in the Epsom Derby:
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