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Polo Owner Wept as Horses Died in His Arms

Tests not likely to reveal cause of deaths for weeks

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 21, 2009 6:09 AM CDT

(Newser) – Devastated polo team owner Victor Vargas cradled the heads of his fallen horses and sobbed as they died in his arms, colleagues said yesterday. The wealthy Venezuelan banker—whose business has thrived despite Hugo Chavez's socialist regime—rushed from animal to animal as 21 suddenly collapsed and died shortly before a Palm Beach polo tournament Sunday. It could be weeks before tests reveal the cause of their baffling deaths, according to the Palm Beach Post.

The tragedy has stunned Florida's close-knit polo community. "In polo's history there's never been an incident like this that anybody can remember," said the president of the polo club that hosted the US Open tournament. "This was a tragic issue on the magnitude of losing a basketball team in an airplane crash."

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[Videos (1)]

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Flowers mark a makeshift memorial outside of Lechuza Caracas Inc. yesterday in Wellington Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell)

Veterinarian Scott Swerdlin talks to reporters about having to respond to the International Polo Club when 21 horses from the Venezuelan-based Lechuza Caracas polo team died mysteriously. (Getty Images)

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Aftermath of polo horse tragedy. (gonadmoore)

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I've been in the sport for 50 years and never been around something as tragic as this.
- Peter Rizzo, executive director of the United States Polo Association

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 4 comments

oldgoat

Apr 22, 2009 8:05 AM CDT

I can appreciate him being upset with the horses dying, but I'd have to wonder first what the cause was. That only his horses were the ones that died is a problem. Doubltful that a competitor could have poisoned all of them, but possible. More likely is something that the horses were given by the trainers. You don't usually feed horses before a match so likely it would either be in the water or if they were given a shot of who knows what.

RobN

Apr 21, 2009 8:23 AM CDT

I deny that whether you're rich or poor matters when it comes to watching the animals you love die in front of you. I understand that hating rich people is in right now, but I don't see the relevancy to the story.

RobN

Apr 21, 2009 4:17 AM CDT

Kati feels better if she can believe that rich people have no feelings. It makes the whole class warfare thing so much easier.

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Palm Beach Post (Source Grid »)
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Lab searching for clues in horses' deaths
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Investigators say foul play unlikely, but negligence possible
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Science • Sports • US • World

horse • veterinarian • animal • polo • Victor Vargas

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Polo Owner Wept as Horses Died in His Arms