Polo Figures Cleared in Deaths of Ponies
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Officials and polo players at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center have been cleared of wrongdoing in the deaths of two ponies during a polo match last March, animal regulation officials said.
However, Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation officials also said that an investigation into events at the Griffith Park facility showed that, in the last year, at least three injured polo ponies were illegally taken from the center to the Wildlife Waystation animal preserve in Little Tujunga Canyon, slaughtered and fed to lions, tigers and bears. The ponies apparently were not tranquilized during the journey, department officials said.
In addition, the investigation showed that some riders handled the ponies too roughly, said Michael Burns, district supervisor for the animal regulation department.
Center officials rebutted the findings of the investigation.
The department issued 11 conditions for continuation of the polo matches at the center, Burns said.
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