Shergar Shergar Shergar (3 March 1978 – c. February 1983) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After a very successful season in 1981 he was retired to the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. In 1983 he was stolen from the stud, and a ransom of £2 million was demanded; it was not paid, and negotiations were soon broken off by the thieves. In 1999 a supergrass, formerly in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), stated they stole the horse. The IRA has never admitted any role in the theft. The Aga Khan, Shergar's owner, sent the horse for training in
Horse racing in Ireland based in Ireland. It has been suggested that the success of Irish Thoroughbreds, both at home and abroad, is partly due to its climate and geography; the wet, temperate climate and limestone-rich soil encourages the growth of calcium-containing grass, while the mild temperatures and lack of seasonal variability allow year-round grazing. Ireland is seen by many as a "horse nation". A recurring part of Irish culture, the horse has been romanticised in art and literature for many centuries. In particular, the Thoroughbred, and horse racing in general, is seen as one of the country's main traditions: Thoroughbred breeding in Ireland