Tragedy in Florida as 21 horses drop dead

An investigation has been opened into the death of 21 horses at Palm Beach, Wellington, Florida, ahead of a Polo match between the local side and the Venezuelan Lechuza Caracas team. The two teams had gathered for the US Open, the biggest tournament in the States, and the team from Venezuela had brought 24 horses with them. Upon their arrival 14 horses dropped dead almost instantly despite the efforts of the veterinaries on site who were desperately trying to cure the animals. A further seven horses then lost their lives creating a real panic with most of the horses taken to the veterinary clinic in Palm Beach in order to discover the cause of death. All in all 21 horses lost their lives for a total worth of 2 million dollars. The dead horses were taken to the Department of Agriculture at Kissimmee, Florida for autopsies and tests. The Venezuelan horses belonged to the multi-millionaire Victor Vargas, also a player, who did all he could to help his sick animals. It is believed that horses died of a pulmonary problem caused by a lethal toxin or a reaction to a pharmacological drug that led to an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that successively brought on a cardiac arrest.