MANATEE — After the death of 21 polo horses in Palm Beach in April because of an overdose of vitamin supplements, randomly drug testing horses in U.S. polo matches beginning in 2010 is good for the sport.
So says Maggie Mitchell, manager of the Sarasota Polo Club.
Mitchell made her comments in response to Wednesday’s confirmation by the U.S. Polo Association that it will start drug testing polo horses competing in the U.S. beginning in January.
The ruling stems from an April 19 incident at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, where horses from the Venezuelan-owned Lechuza Caracas team collapsed as they were unloaded from trailers before the match, according to The Associated Press. Some died at the scene and some hours later, the report added.
Florida state veterinarian Dr. Thomas J. Holt said at the time that the horses died of an overdose of a common mineral that helps muscles recover from fatigue. Toxicology tests on the dead horses showed significantly increased selenium levels, Holt reported.
“The health and safety of both the horses and the players is, and has always been, the number one priority for everyone involved in the sport of polo,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s important to remember that the horses were given an incorrect compound of vitamins and mineral supplements, which, when taken individually and at the correct levels, are usually safe. If testing helps monitor the safety and continuity, it’s a win-win situation.”
The overwhelming majority of polo owners and players would never harm their animals, but taking precautions is not a bad thing, said Lakewood Ranch resident and professional polo player and pony owner Jamie Mirikitani.
“It’s good they are doing random testing, but I do not think they will find much,” said the 33-year-old Mirikitani, who owns 12 horses and will compete in the Sarasota Polo Club’s 2010 season, which begins in December. “Most people treat their horses very, very well.”
Scott Lancaster, who runs the Sarasota Polo School and also plays polo, says he expects the random testing to be done at the highest levels of play only, due to the high cost of testing.
“Even though they say random, they know the geographic area and what kind of caliber polo they are looking for,” he said.
Lancaster is a bit peeved that the death of the horses puts polo owners and players in a bad light.
“It didn’t have to do with a polo player, but a lab making a mistake on a concoction of vitamins,” he said. “That being said, I don’t think it hurts anything to test.”
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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