21 horses suddenly die at Florida polo match

The world of polo is anxiously awaiting the results of laboratory tests to help reveal how 21 horses from a Venezuelan team died suddenly in a mystery outbreak that has left the sport in shock. The horses from the Lechuza Caracas team were due to appear in yesterday's semi-final of the US Open in Florida, the most high-profile event in the American polo calendar and a highlight of the international circuit.

At about 2.15pm, two horses fell in their trailers as they were being unloaded before the match. Others showed signs of dizziness, breathing heavily, before finally collapsing. As they fell, grooms and vets rushed to treat the animals, spraying them with water to cool them and administering intravenous fluids. But their efforts were in vain: all horses that showed signs of illness died.



Fourteen horses died on Sunday, and a further seven passed away overnight, wiping out almost the entire team that had been brought to the tournament. The carcasses of the 21 dead horses were transported to laboratories around Florida for testing, and the results are expected to take several days.

Terence McElroy, a spokesman for the Florida department of agriculture which is leading the investigation into the deaths, would not be drawn on possible causes. "We pretty much have an open mind - we simply want to get to the bottom of it," he said.



Speculation focused on the possibility of toxic shock, which would explain the symptoms displayed by the horses of dizziness, water in the lungs and cardiac arrest. If so, that would lead investigators to ask what caused the reaction. It could be explained by contaminated food or water, which would raise the issue of whether the toxin was mistakenly or consciously given to the animals.

Vet James Belden, who was at the scene, said: "Clearly it's an intoxication ... there's some sort of a poison." Further attention will fall on whether the animals were given any performance enhancing fluids before the match. It is not uncommon at this highest level of the sport for horses to be given cocktails of fluids, similar to steroids, though steroids themselves are banned in some circuits, including at British competitions.