WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Unable to legally bring a supplement into the United States to make their horses more resilient, a Venezuelan polo team used another way to get ready for a champion match: Have a pharmacy mix up the concoction.
What happened next was disastrous.
The chemicals were mixed wrong, and 21 horses given the brew died in rapid succession, some collapsing just before taking the field.
The others fell soon after, one by one, shocking a well-heeled crowd gathered to watch the US Open at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.
The Lechuza polo team had hoped to get a compound similar to a name-brand supplement used safely around the world to help horses with exhaustion but hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Veterinarians commonly turn to compounding pharmacies for medications that can’t be found on shelves.
The Florida pharmacy that mixed the medication said yesterday that an internal review found “the strength of an ingredient in the medication was incorrect.”
Jennifer Beckett, chief operating officer for Franck’s Pharmacy in Ocala, would not say whether the amount was specified in the order that came from a Florida veterinarian.
Lechuza said the order was for a compound similar to Biodyl, a supplement that includes vitamins and minerals. The team has been using the supplement for many years without problems, but typically uses the manufactured version instead of going to compounding pharmacies.