U.S. polo finalizing pony drug-test plan

WELLINGTON, Fla., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Officials at the U.S. Polo Association say they are still ironing out the details of a drug-testing program for horses that goes into effect next year.

The plan calls for random blood and urine tests on ponies to ensure they have not been given anything harmful.

The rule changes were adopted earlier this year after 21 ponies died of a toxic vitamin compound at the U.S. Open Polo Championships in Wellington, Fla.

"At this point we're still developing protocols," the association's executive director, Peter Rizzo, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "There's not much we as an organization can do about compounding (vitamins). "Veterinarians and the federal government would have to regulate that."

The newspaper said Wednesday that a pilot program for horse testing will begin in January when the 2010 season gets under way in Wellington with hundreds of players and around 700 horses.