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 following complaints concerning the oat intake of Thoroughbreds. The ban led to public outcry, especially in Ireland where some 20,000 people were believed to be employed in the embattled racing industry. Fearing further unrest, the British government gave a concession to allow the Curragh festival of the 8–10 May, finally relenting on the 20th June. In 1915, the British National Stud was based in the Curragh, becoming the Irish National Stud after independence. In the post-independence period, many efforts were made to regulate and support the horse racing industry in Ireland, and a greater effort was made to promote Irish