COLUMN: Polo match suspended due to dead horses?!?
Rabbi Bazzi
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Sports
Twenty one polo horses suddenly died at a championship event in the well-to-do equestrian golfing community of Palm Beach County in Florida. The Wellington Polo grounds host the U.S. Open every year.
How does something like that happen? You would think that they might be taking better care of their prized animals.
The horses, who were a part of the traveling Venezuelan team Lechuza Caracas became suddenly ill before the match and collapsed, dying on the scene or while in transit to medical care.
The initial cause of death was a toxin causing heart failure, according to Dr. Scott Swerdlin of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic. A second veterinarian at the scene confirmed the cause of death was heart failure. The toxin most likely came from tainted food or vitamins, or a toxic reaction from a combination of the two.
What I still don't get is if you've been mixing these two combinations of medicine together why is it just now taking negative effects on these horses.
Toxicology results are pending Monday or Tuesday at the latest. The Lechuza team was considered to be one of the best of the eight teams that entered the tournament.
The team has upwards of 60 horses. All the horses who have fallen ill have died. The deaths occurred when the horses were being led out of their trailers. Seven died on the scene and the rest while en route to medical care.
Two initially acted dizzily and fell over, and several more followed suit. Intravenous lines were administered on the spot, but to no avail. Blue tarps were raised to shield the fallen steeds from the crowd. John Walsh, president of club operations said,
"This was devastating. It was heartbreaking, to see that many horses get sick all at once."
Swerdlin estimated all 21 horses together could have been worth upwards of $2 million. Individually, the horses could have been worth anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000. Swerdlin said, "It would take 10 years to build that string back up."
Poison has not been ruled out as a possibility, and authorities are holding off official statements until the autopsy results come back on Friday. Some of the horses were owned by the players on the team, while most of the horses were owned by wealthy Venezuelan banker Victor Vargas.
After going through a public divorce, he became well known in the area when he purchased a $70 million house in the Palm Beach area. He was unable to be reached for comment but was described as "in shock and mourning".
At least 14 horses were taken to the state agricultural laboratory for study and autopsy. Since airborne bacteria or illness was ruled out, the polo games will resume on Wednesday.
How does something like that happen? You would think that they might be taking better care of their prized animals.
The horses, who were a part of the traveling Venezuelan team Lechuza Caracas became suddenly ill before the match and collapsed, dying on the scene or while in transit to medical care.
The initial cause of death was a toxin causing heart failure, according to Dr. Scott Swerdlin of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic. A second veterinarian at the scene confirmed the cause of death was heart failure. The toxin most likely came from tainted food or vitamins, or a toxic reaction from a combination of the two.
What I still don't get is if you've been mixing these two combinations of medicine together why is it just now taking negative effects on these horses.
Toxicology results are pending Monday or Tuesday at the latest. The Lechuza team was considered to be one of the best of the eight teams that entered the tournament.
The team has upwards of 60 horses. All the horses who have fallen ill have died. The deaths occurred when the horses were being led out of their trailers. Seven died on the scene and the rest while en route to medical care.
Two initially acted dizzily and fell over, and several more followed suit. Intravenous lines were administered on the spot, but to no avail. Blue tarps were raised to shield the fallen steeds from the crowd. John Walsh, president of club operations said,
"This was devastating. It was heartbreaking, to see that many horses get sick all at once."
Swerdlin estimated all 21 horses together could have been worth upwards of $2 million. Individually, the horses could have been worth anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000. Swerdlin said, "It would take 10 years to build that string back up."
Poison has not been ruled out as a possibility, and authorities are holding off official statements until the autopsy results come back on Friday. Some of the horses were owned by the players on the team, while most of the horses were owned by wealthy Venezuelan banker Victor Vargas.
After going through a public divorce, he became well known in the area when he purchased a $70 million house in the Palm Beach area. He was unable to be reached for comment but was described as "in shock and mourning".
At least 14 horses were taken to the state agricultural laboratory for study and autopsy. Since airborne bacteria or illness was ruled out, the polo games will resume on Wednesday.
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