The oral tradition…for centuries they've come stitched into the Irish national tapestry.
asserted
they → stitch → tapestry
Add this one to the anthology: the story of Shergar, a champion racehorse, Ireland's answer to Secretariat, who dominated tracks in the early 80s — until he was kidnapped.
asserted
he → add → 80s
The crime was thought to be an Irish Republican Army plot, launched amid "The Troubles," the violent conflict that convulsed Northern Ireland for 30 years.
asserted
that → think → years
All this time later, the horse was never found, no one's been arrested, and one of sport's great unsolved mysteries has never moved beyond cold case status.
asserted
one → find → status
With central figures dying off and memories fading, we ventured to horse country, not far from Dublin, in County Kildare.
asserted
we → die → Kildare
This is the Curragh—Gaelic for: place of the running horse.
asserted
This → run → horse
A thousand years ago, kings and chiefs raced chariots here.
asserted
kings → race → chariots
Now it's the beating heart of Ireland's thoroughbred racing industry, the last place you'd peg for the setting of an ill-fated kidnapping.
asserted
you → beat → kidnapping
Over the last weekend in June, the Curragh is home to the Irish Derby, or Darby, as they say here.
asserted
they → say → Derby
The best in breed come from all over.
asserted
best → come → breed
But in 1981, it was won by a local - Shergar, born in a nearby stable.
asserted
it → win → stable
And who knew it at the time, but his saga was barely getting out of the gate.
asserted
saga → know → gate
Derek Thompson (1981 Epsom Derby): Was it easier than you thought it would be?
asserted
it → think → ?
That's commentator Derek Thompson asking the question and trying to keep up with Shergar on his way to another winner's circle.
asserted
Thompson → ask → circle
He had-- a white face, which I think endears him to the crowd.
asserted
I → had-- → crowd
You know, you could see him.
uncertain
you → know → him
As a commentator you-- you look for things like that.
asserted
you → look → that
It was Shergar's overwhelming speed and stride that distinguished him at the 1981 Epsom Derby, England's equivalent of The Kentucky Derby.
asserted
that → distinguish → Derby
The way he won the Derby-- that day at Epsom…
asserted
he → win → Epsom
And he won by 10 lengths.
asserted
he → win → lengths
The guy who rode the second horse, he was long-sighted so-- and he couldn't wear his glasses, obviously, when he was riding.
asserted
he → ride → glasses
So when he passed the post he thought he'd won.
asserted
he → pass → post
Give us a sense where Shergar ranks historically among thoroughbred racehorses.
asserted
Shergar → give → racehorses
You say that as someone who's seen a lotta racing.
asserted
who → say → racing
I have.
asserted
I → have → ?
And I can tell you.
asserted
I → tell → you
What does the future typically hold for a horse like Shergar once he's done racing?
asserted
he → hold → Shergar
And when you become a stallion, you become a very lucky lad.
asserted
you → become → ?
That is, after getting a hero's welcome back in County Kildare, Shergar was put out to stud.
asserted
Shergar → get → stud
He retired Shergar to Ballymany Stud Farm, hoping to create a dynasty of sorts - syndicating the horse, selling 40 shares for 250,000 pounds each, totaling more than $50 million, in today's currency.
asserted
He → retire → currency
But fortunes changed on the night of Feb. 8, 1983, when masked men with guns broke into Ballymany and kidnapped Shergar.
asserted
men → change → Shergar
Belfast-based filmmaker Alison Millar is one of the few people to interview Shergar's head groom Jim Fitzgerald, who was there that night.
asserted
who → base → Fitzgerald
My impression was that he was absolutely haunted, traumatized by the whole experience.
asserted
he → traumatize → experience
Jon Wertheim: Never got over the trauma?
asserted
Wertheim → get → trauma
Before he died, Fitzgerald opened up to Millar, recalling what happened.
asserted
what → die → Millar
She showed us the interview from her documentary "Searching for Shergar."
asserted
She → show → Shergar
ALISON MILLAR (in "Searching for Shergar"): Tell me what happened.
asserted
what → search → me
Can you remember it, Jim?
asserted
you → remember → it
Jim Fitzgerald (in "Searching for Shergar": I'll tell you now.
asserted
I → search → you
Jim Fitzgerald (in "Searching for Shergar"): It was in early February.
asserted
It → search → February
…and 81 more, not listed.
The Aporia
