POLO COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO COME TOGETHER IN LOSS OF HORSES
WELLINGTON—The polo community continues to wait on the results of tests being conducted on 21 horses that fell ill and died Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach prior to a US Open Polo Championship match.

“We don’t know too much at this time,” said Veterinarian Paul Wollenman of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, the on call group attending to the horses as they fell ill.  “We do know that based on overwhelming clinical evidence this event was isolated to the Lechuza barn horses and the initial evidence shows no infectious element.”

The 21 horses have been sent to the state laboratory for necropsy and further testing to determine the cause of these deaths.  Results will not be known for several days.
According to Peter Rizzo, Director of the United States Polo Association they are actively working with International Polo, veterinarians, state and local regulatory agencies, like the Department of Agriculture and Palm Beach County Department of Animal Care and Control.  “We can only wait for the results.  But, in the meantime we all mourn the loss of these horses; and , there are no words to describe the grief and sadness shared by everyone and in particular the devastated owners of those magnificent animals.”

The players and club representatives have agreed to continue with the US Open Polo Championship in honor of the Lechuza horses. The Lechuza Caracas team has  withdrawn from the competition.  On Wednesday, April 22 at 3 PM Las Monjitas, the Bracket I winner will play Orchard Hill the bracket II runner-up and at 5 PM Audi the Bracket II winner will square off against White Birch the bracket I runner-up.

“We continue to stay in contact with everyone touched by this event and share their grief”, said President of Operations at International Polo John Wash.

Lechuza Caracas, was scheduled to play a match at 3 PM, Sunday April 19.  As they were preparing their horses for the day’s competition, two collapsed and several others began exhibiting dizziness and disorientation.    Veterinarians from Palm Beach Equine, International Polo’s consulting veterinarian group, and other horse related groups rushed to the scene and began treating those exhibiting symptoms.  All were removed from the International Polo Club and to date 21 have died.

Polo ponies are well trained thoroughbred horses that play polo long into their mid teens.  During a game or match players take extra precautions to not over exert their animals and change horses as often as every chukker and sometimes half way through a chukker.