MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Criminal probe into sudden death of 21 polo horses in Florida

A criminal probe has been opened into the death of 21 polo horses that died over the weekend during preparations for a match of the sport’s top championship in Wellington, Florida. An investigation has first to determine whether they died from a toxin, a virus, drugs reaction, a contagious disease or a combination of any of the open options.

“The magnitude of this is shocking,” said Peter Rizzo, executive director of the United States Polo Association. “Whatever killed these horses, we don't want to see it again.”

The horses died Sunday, some collapsing on the polo grounds where hundreds of people had come to watch the U.S. Open Polo Championship, while others died in a nearby stable, The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported Tuesday. The ponies are believed to be originally from Argentina.

The horses belonged to team Lechuza Caracas, owned by Venezuelan multimillionaire Victor Vargas who cradled several of the horses in his arms as they lay dying, the Post reported. Necropsies on the horses were to be performed Monday and Tuesday as investigators sought to determine whether the deaths were accidental or a criminal act, the Post reported.

“Was it hay, feed, bedding, water? There are a lot of unanswered questions. Horses may be big, but they are delicate animals,” said Mark Fagan, a spokesman for the Florida state Agriculture Department.

“We want to make sure from a law enforcement standpoint that there was no impropriety ... no purposeful harm or laws violated in Florida,” said Terence McElroy, spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which is handling the case with help from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Officials at the club hosting the US Open tournament and several independent veterinarians have said the deaths appeared to be accidental, and investigators haven't identified suspects or foul play.

However it may take weeks to complete toxicology tests to pin down the cause of what veterinarians believe was a swift toxic reaction that killed the horses, which were all from the Lechuza Polo team. Necropsies are also pending.

The deaths of the horses scheduled to play in Sunday's finals have been valued in more that 2 million US dollars, with each horse estimated to be worth 200,000 USD.

The tragedy also shocked Wellington, a town of horse clubs, training facilities, stables, polo grounds and wide-open fenced fields where the animals roam and graze along straight-line, neatly groomed streets.

Lechuza Polo, a favourite to win the title at the event described as the sport's World Series, released a statement late Monday that the team does not know the cause of the deaths, but is helping with the investigation.

“This is tragic news. We are deeply concerned about the death of our ponies,” the statement read. “We have never encountered such a dire situation like this as our horses receive the most professional and dedicated care possible”.