By Michaela Moricova
The last part of the series deals with the kidnaps of Standardbreds, especially of a mare that was very special to the whole nation of Italy; however… The focal point of this article is on Zazou, whose story broke through in February 2023 when he went missing. And in May, new information spread worldwide as Zazou miraculously appeared in Chechnya in the hands of Ramzan Kadyrov, who… One would say he stole Zazou from his stable, while others would claim the horse was still his, so it wasn’t a theft per say. It’s mostly up to you to make up your mind over the whole thing, as I am a mere storyteller here. A storyteller who happens to be from the Czech Republic, where Zazou stood in Darhorse Stud for several years.
Stealing Standardbreds
A tragic case took place this year in March 2023. Three teenagers brought saddles to Memory Lane Stable and Track, put them on three horses, and rode off. As the horses were standardbreds used only to harness races, they must have been stressed by the riders on their backs, so it is no wonder the whole attempt led to a disaster. One of the teens and two horses were killed in a car accident. The third horse, Logo Winner, sustained an injury, but not life-threatening one. The other two raiders ended up in hospital.
Another case concerning standardbreds that deserves a mention happened in 2017 in Italy as a champion trotter went missing. Chestnut mare Unicka scored Italy’s Trotting Derby and was very well-known as the harness racing drew lots of attention in Italy, so information about her kidnapping appeared in all media. Unicka, nicknamed “Blonde Bombshell,” and Vampire Dany both disappeared and even though the culprits faced a trial, neither of the duo has been seen since.
Chechnyan Leader in Czechia
Although the Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced in 2022, the conflict between the two nations has stretched for over a decade. As an aftermath of the 2014 Crimean occupation, the European Union decided it was time to push Russia back into its place by employing sanctions on the regime and its collaborators, including Chechnya. The dictatorial country is led by a brutal authoritarian, Ramzan Kadyrov, whose passion for horses was demonstrated by placing his runners in the hands of a trainer residing in the Czech Republic. This happened even before the Crimean occupation, so he couldn’t get his horses back due to the sanctions. They could race and stay only in the Czech Republic, so once their careers were over, the Darhorse Stud acquired the rights to have internationally famous Zazou and Mikhail Glinka stand there.
Their success as sires is a bit debatable, yet the truth is that Ramzan Kadyrov didn’t have any legal means to get these horses from the Czech Republic, especially after the war in Ukraine broke out. This should be enough to set the scene for March 2023 when a group sneaked into the Darhorse Stud and drove off with sixteen-year-old Zazou. They left Mikhail Glinka (the more valuable of the pair of stallions, in my opinion) behind. Subsequently, Kadyrov laughed at Czech police that he was not behind the act and that some local farmer simply pulled a prank on them, but it’s up to you to judge that, as honestly, it wasn’t the first attempt to sneak into Darhorse.
Neighborhood Watch
Even before the war in Ukraine started, a couple of shady men appeared at the door of the stud. Fortunately, the neighbors and staff noticed them and guessed the men were here for the stallions. They guarded them with nothing but their bare hands and determination, which proved to be enough back then. If you doubted the men were here really for Kadyrov’s property, rest assured the staff wasn’t mistaken. The group of masked men didn’t leave with horses but at least drove off with a trailer. A trailer bearing Kadyrov’s color combination of red and green.
The location of Zazou, the son of Shamardal, remained unknown for a couple of months. In his rich career, the bay won the G1 Premio Roma, finished second in the German Derby and third in the G1 Hong Kong Cup, and being a real globetrotter, he successfully showed up in France, Singapore, Turkey, and UAE in Dubai. But… where did he travel this time?
In May 2023, Kadyrov announced Zazou had arrived at his barn in Chechnya. The horse is fine, which is the most important thing to take away from this; still, he didn’t forget to mention Zazou wasn’t in the best shape, blaming Czech handlers for this. Of course, because the long journey from the heart of Europe to Chechnya probably didn’t take a toll on the horse at all, did it?
As I said earlier, it’s up to you to decide about the whole affair. I would like to insert the last bit of information here. In spring 2022, the former Zazou’s trainer Arslangirey Shavuev had his last runner in the Czech Republic. He quickly transferred all of his trainees to his son and… Disappeared. Literally disappeared as some claim he returned to his homeland of Kazakhstan, and some claim he went to Russia to train horses there, but after all, it only contributed to the overall craziness of the whole affair.
The remaining question is, why did Kadyrov take away Zazou, whose value is considerably smaller than Mikhail Glinka’s (because MG’s foals has performed better)? Is he emotionally attached more to Zazou? Or were his men simply ordered to take at least of the horses regardless of the name? Who knows, but the truth is that Mikhail Glinka is still happily grazing in the Czech Republic, siring foals, and only the future will tell if Kadyrov treasures him enough to send another bunch of masked men to get him, too.
To Touch on the Jump Racing
Honestly, the case with staff and neighbors spotting something nefarious resembles one with Altior’s sister. Altior used to be a steeplechase champion in the United Kingdom and was trained by Nicky Henderson; there was no other like him just a few years ago. Therefore, it is no wonder his sister Princess Leya was very valuable to Paddy and Rose Behan, having her as a broodmare in Ireland. Back then, she was with a foal by Free Eagle when in the summer of 2022, a group of people showed up at the gates of a rural farm in Laois. The neighbors spotted a van they hadn’t seen before, alerted the owners, and by being so vigilant, they probably saved the mare and her colt from being kidnapped.
The thieves managed to get a couple of horses out of the gates, which Princess Leya survived unscathed, but the colt had a few bruises. Still, this story saw its happy ending, unlike some of those we’ve covered in this series. I hope you enjoyed all of them, nevertheless.
