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 crowds in excess of 100,000 annually attending both the Punchestown Festival in April, and the Galway Races in July. The majority of racecourses are turf, with Dundalk being the only floodlit all-weather polytrack. Laytown holds the distinction of being the only beach racecourse in the country adhering to the rules of the Turf Club, with one race meeting held each year on a natural sand track; however unaffiliated beach races are frequently held on beaches in some parts of the country. Horse Racing Ireland recognises the following racecourses: Ulster Munster Leinster Connacht Races have previously been held under the Rules