After a horrible start of the week with Black Sunday it was back in action at the US Open and it was Audi leading the way.  Audi stopped a very tough White Birch team to get it done.  They are off to their third finals of the high-goal season and the Grand Daddy of them all . . .  the U.S. Open. Their opponents will be there because of Black Sunday.  This team was out of the race before the saddest day in polo history.  They stopped a hard-charging and tough Orchard Hill, who led most of the game even into the sixth, but it was Los Monjitas finishing it with brilliant play by Adam Snow and Ed Astrada.  A subdued, but very important game will be played on Sunday and its titled the finals of the U.S. OPEN.                 

Some news of the horror on Sunday seems to have been a lab error similar to those that have killed many humans over the last few years. It was said to have been a “bad batch.” There is not too much comfort in that, but it seldom is for the living as the others have paid the price of this error.

Apparently it was a bad mix by someone who was doing a prescription of a combination not sold in the U.S., but ordered in Florida.  It was just filled incorrectly,  just like you have seen on 60 minutes on Sunday night.  The only problem was is that the “bad batch” was given to 20 some horses and the fact that it was mixed wrong could not be fixed at that time.  It was too late.  It became a mass killing similar to Jones’ Koolaid problem in South America a while back.  The only problem with that situation is that they had no choice, the horses that is.

It still is a horrible incident,  but if we do not get what we expect when we buy who really is to blame? To me it’s the maker or pharmacy who just screwed up and made a mistake.  It is not that much unlike the many mass killings we have had lately.  As usual its the innocent who pay the price. We can go on blaming the people who gave it, but what if it had been bad hay or Oats ? Then what? At least it was a mistake.  I hope I am right and that is was not someone trying to kill horses or screw the team up. We have had some very terrible luck in recent Opens. Skeeter Johnston’s death 2 years ago.  Maybe we should play the U.S. Open only on even years?

I would like someone who knows, not just thinks he/she knows,  to make a list of the four-legged players who have passed away due to this incident.   Get a little bio on each of the horses from the pros, grooms or the owner.  I think it would be very good and informative about the life of many of these lost soldiers.  So often the horse gets so little credit for the game outside of the polo people.  Maybe it will be a change and everyone will know why this hurts us so much. I will publish it several times as I would like everyone to read about this amazing horses.   There must be some great stories in this bunch as they were  mostly superstars or they would not have been there to play in the U.S. Open.

E-mail scrowder@poloconnect, lynn@polozone.com or post them on this article as a comment on the bottom. 

See ya.

Steve Crowder