Business of Sport: While Alex Ferguson threatens to take John Magnier to court over ownership rights to Rock of Gibraltar, this column came across a similar story involving none other than Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame, William Shatner.
Post-Star Trek and TJ Hooker, Shatner has been carving out a career in horse breeding in America but has ended up in court on numerous occasions over horse sperm, horse ownership and horse breeding rights.
In 1990, a former associate sued him over breeding rights to Sultan's Great Day, a world champion fine harness horse in 1983 and 1984. Lexington horsewoman Linda Johnson, who previously owned part of the stallion, contended Shatner violated an agreement under which she could breed two mares a year for the duration of the stallion's life. Shatner argued there was no agreement and that the breeding rights represented a gift, which he withdrew after 1988.
After a two-day trial a US Circuit Court judge sided with Shatner leaving the former space captain to observe: "In any business, people have a different perception of the truth and in this instance there was a difference of opinion as to what was true . . . and the judge ruled that perhaps my apprehension of reality was the correct one."
We watch with bated breath the apprehension of reality in Ferguson v Magnier.
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