Shergar - A Real-Life Pegasus

Shergar, the champion thoroughbred, won the Epsom Derby (in England) by ten lengths on June 3, 1981 - the same year he was named "European Horse of the Year."  With four white socks on his legs, and a huge white blaze on his face, the bay stallion was very handsome and blisteringly fast. 

People who watched him said that Shergar was:

... the nearest real-life equivalent to Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology.

At one stage of the 1981 Epsom Derby - at about 2:10 into the race - Shergar was reportedly running (on grass) at a speed of 67.56 km (40.54 miles) per hour. 

Two years later, horse breeders were paying significant amounts of cash for Shergar's stud fees.  Then ... on the 8th of February, 1983, three masked men - demanding a ransom of £2 million - kidnapped the famous horse.  He was never seen again.

The story of Shergar's kidnapping, and horrific demise, remained an unsolved mystery until the 25th anniversary of his disappearance.  Andrew Alderson, chief reporter for The Telegraph, learned that a botched kidnapping resulted in Shergar's death.