21 polo horses die suddenly in Fla.

Flowers are shown at a makeshift memorial outside of Lechuza Caracas Inc. Monday, April 20, 2009, in Wellington Fla. The horses from the Venezuelan-owned team Lechuza Caracas sickened just before a tournament Sunday, collapsing and dying on the scene or while being treated at vet clinics or transported, officials said. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell)

Map locates Wellington, Fla. , where 21 polo horses have died

Lechuza Caracas owned by Venezuelan multimillionaire (21 polo horses poisoned)

SONJA ISGERPalm Beach Post Staff WriterBy SONJA ISGERPalm Beach Post Staff WriterMonday, April 20, 2009

The 21 horses that died this weekend were about to play in the 105th U.S. Open Polo Championship, a tournament which caps South Florida's winter polo season.

They were members of the Lechuza Caracas team which has been playing in the event annually since 1999

The team is owned by Victor Vargas, a Venezuelan multimillionaire who started playing polo when he was 24 years old, according to the North American Polo League.

According to the league website, Vargas has various banking and oil holding in the United sates, Venezuela, Panama and the Dominican Republic. The site reports that the man is also president of the Venezuelan Bank Association and director of the Latin American Banks Federation.

Vargas, who also plays on the team, was reported in tears as he held the dying horses Sunday

afternoon. LinkHere