[UPDATED] The 17 Standardbred horses that died in a Langley barn fire on Sunday afternoon were valued at up to $1 million, according to the head of Harness Racing B.C.
Executive director Jackson Wittup said the horses were mostly young two- to three-year-olds that were resting ahead of the next harness-racing season at Fraser Downs this fall.
The horses, trained by Bill Davis, were owned by Rick Mowles, of JJJ Stables. Both were devastated after hearing the news, Wittup said.
"They're all young horses so you're hoping they're the next world champion," Wittup said. "They had some great expectations of some of them."
A miniature horse and an older aged pacing mare also died in the blaze.
Wittup said both Mowles and Davis, who trained the horses for the past year, were passionate about the horses, and are dumbfounded by the situation. The loss is a double whammy for Mowles, who breeds all his own horses, he added.
Mowles had leased the land from the All Seasons Mushroom farm, at 224th Street and 40th Avenue.
A man who answered the phone at the mushroom farm declined to comment, saying the matter is under investigation.
Langley firefighters are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which blew out most of the tin-roofed barn.
Assistant fire chief Pat Walker said about 11 fire trucks and more than 49 firefighters attended the blaze.
More firefighters were on scene Monday trying to put out hotspots.
Wittup said initial speculation is that the fire may have been electrical, noting the barn was fairly old.
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