Airport officials left puzzled after carcass of dead horse worth £90,000 found on plane

Mystery: The dead carcass of a one-year-old European warmblood named Virteuse was discovered by workers at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport (stock picture) 

Airport officials have been left baffled after the carcass of a dead horse was discovered onboard an aircraft.


Workers at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport found the pony worth $140,000 (£86,773) aboard an Israeli El Al cargo plane yesterday morning. The one-year-old European warmblood called Virteuse belonged to an unnamed private owner in the state of Illinois.
A  necropsy - a post-mortem examination carried out on non-human bodies - is now being performed by the US.Department of Agriculture to determine why the animal died during the eight hour transit from Belgium to the US. According to a report, in-flight caretakers said the horse 'was kicking forcefully' 30 minutes after takeoff 'and then there was no movement from the horse for the completion of the flight.' 
Flight 831, originated in Israel and stopped at Belgium's Liege Airport before landing at JFK carrying ten horses. Shortly after the plane landed Port Authority officials in New York and New Jersey were warned that one of the horses was dead. Unlike thoroughbreds, which are a hotblooded breed, warmbloods primarily originate from Europe and are specifically bred for equestrian sports such as show jumping and racing.


A Port Authority spokeswoman said she did not know what kind of horse it was, but revealed that a trainer was on board the flight. The best-known German warmbloods are the Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg and the purebred Trakehner. It is common to transport horses by cargo, but 'it's very unusual for something wrong to happen on these flights,' horse veterinarian Dr. Nancy Buonpane told the New York Post.
James Luck director of international shipping agents Peden Bloodstock told Horse & Hound: 'Airlines and horses aren't always the best match.
'All sorts of things can go wrong, from a broken pallet to a problem with the paperwork.'

Colic is the most common ailment during flights although results of the necropsy are yet to be revealed.