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
Tersk Stud racetrack for another season. Many others will be sold at the age of three. While race records are important to the Tersk breeding program, Dr. Balakshin stated “…good racing results are not the only criterion for selecting young stock for breeding purposes. Excellent runners which deviate from breed type may be used for limited breeding or else they are eliminated from selection.” Any horse used for breeding at Tersk is required to be rated “Elite” or “Grade I” in the Russian Stud Book. Horses that receive lower grades are sent to other studs or sold. The current stud director is