Rugged Riding Game Unlike Snooty Polo

Buzkashi draws sponsors in post-Taliban economy

(NEWSER) - Not even the Taliban managed to kill it, and now buzkashi, the national sport of Afghanistan, is thriving again, attracting corporate sponsors and emboldening its boosters to contact Olympics officials, with the ambition of building an international following. Did we mention it’s a virtually rule-less polo-like game played by men on horseback fighting over a goat or calf carcass? More»

Selenium overdose likely claimed animals' lives

(AP) - Florida officials say a mineral overdose is the probable cause of death for 21 Venezuelan-owned polo horses that fell ill as they prepared for a championship match earlier this month. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said today the animals likely overdosed on selenium, a common mineral that can be toxic in high doses. More»

(NEWSER) - The Florida pharmacy that prepared vitamin supplements for the 21 polo horses that died last weekend has admitted that the mixture was faulty, the Palm Beach Post reports. Franck’s Pharmacy in Tallahassee said today that the level of one ingredient in the supplement—which the polo team says was Biodyl—was incorrect. The druggist said it is cooperating “fully with the authorities as they continue their investigations.” More»

(NEWSER) - Exactly what killed 21 polo horses in Florida is not known, but details of their enigmatic owner are emerging in spades. Victor Vargas has succeeded at the tricky proposition of banking in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, and tried the US market—with less-than-stellar results. In 1993, he had to settle with the Fed for $1.5 million, and can’t invest here without government permission. Time takes a look at the secretive multimillionaire. More»

Common drug was tainted, he claims

(NEWSER) - A tainted vitamin supplement killed the 21 horses that collapsed before a polo match in Florida last weekend, the captain of the Venezuelan team claims. He notes that five horses not given the drug are fine. The French drug, called Biodyl, is commonly administered in Europe but not approved for use or sale in the US, the Miami Herald reports. More»