Looking Back - Shergar Kidnapped

Shergar, one of the greatest racehorses ever seen on a racecourse, is already a legend in racing circles. Foaled in 1978 by Great Nephew out of the Dam Sharmeena, Shergar went on to win the 1981 Epsom Derby by a record breaking 10 lengths, the longest winning margin in the history of the race. Shergar, a bay colt with a distinctive white blaze, was named European Horse of the Year in 1981 and was retired from racing in September of that year. His potential Stud earnings were colossal.
On this day in 1983 news broke that Shergar had been kidnapped the previous night from his stable in County Kildare. At least six unidentified kidnappers told head groom James Fitzgerald that a ransom would be demanded by lunchtime the following day.
The kidnap had begun when two armed and masked men entered Fitzgerald's home at the Ballymany Stud in Newbridge. They locked Fitzgeralds's family in a downstairs room, before forcing him at gunpoint to release Shergar from his security stable. They then drove off with the horse, and the head groom, in the horsebox. Mr. Fitzgerald was eventually released 40 miles from his home. He was questioned by police for several hours, before they put listening devices in his home in preparation for further contact from the kidnappers.
The horse owned by the Aga Khan and trained at Newmarket by Michael Stoute, was valued by Lloyds of London at £10m at stud. In the time between his retirement from racing and his kidnap, Shergar's fertility rate was impressive, 42 of the mares covered the previous year were in foal and another had already given birth.
The following day, the 10th February, a ransom demand for £2m was phoned through by the kidnappers. By the end of that day the demand had dropped to £40,000, but all the shareholders refused to meet the kidnapper's demands because they wanted to deter future kidnappings.
Many hoax calls and false alarms followed, including sightings of Shergar both alive and dead. However, the horse, nor his kidnappers, were ever found. Sean O'Callaghan a former IRA member, turned informer, claimed in his book, the horse was killed by his abductors, soon after being taken, because they could not handle him. O'Callaghan further claimed the IRA had demanded £5m from the Aga Khan, but the money was never paid.