Hundreds of Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association-member trainers are now eligible to sign up for a workers’ compensation policy that covers their stable employees at a possible substantial savings, according to the horsemen’s organization.

In an Oct. 9 release, the Kentucky HBPA said members are now eligible for an existing, partial self-funded workers’ compensation program created and managed by horsemen. The insurance eligibility and procedures will be under HBPA Insurance Workers’ Compensation. The partial self-funded program is administered by Gallagher Risk Management and insured by Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company, which is an A+ superior-rated insurer by A.M. Best.

Signups already have begun. Trainers can find out more about eligibility requirements and get an application by emailing or stopping in the Kentucky HBPA office and visiting with Yeruza Rodriguez (yrodriguez@lahbpa.org). Trainers can email Brandon Hamilton at brandon_hamilton@ajg.com or Cindy Leigh at cleigh@lahbpa.org to secure an application.  

Jordan Blair has been waiting for such a breakthrough workers’ comp program for Kentucky trainers for years. To illustrate the savings, Blair said he would have saved approximately 30% annually with the HBPA Insurance Workers’ Compensation program compared with his previous policy.

“I couldn’t be happier. It really is fair,” said Blair, a first-term Kentucky HBPA board member. “It’s a great deal for Kentucky horsemen. It’s hard to make money training horses. The only way I make money is by winning races. I don’t make money on my day rate. Workers’ comp is one of the biggest expenses a trainer has. This savings is going to trickle down. That’s not money staying in the bank. The benefits are going to be passed on to everyone involved.”

How it works

According to the Kentucky HBPA, by being partially self-funded and a not-for-profit, HBPA Insurance avoids advertising, commissions, some taxes, and other costs that are part of for-profit insurance companies. The program uses a per-start format that reduces the need for trainers to undergo cumbersome workers’ comp payroll analysis. 

To be eligible, a Kentucky-based trainer will have to make at least 60 starts in a year among affiliate states that already have the program in place (currently Kentucky, Louisiana, and Florida). Any new HBPA affiliate added to the program automatically will be included.

Trainers signing up for the workers’ comp program must be a card-signed member of the Kentucky HBPA.

The nonrefundable minimum policy is $1,500. That covers a trainer’s initial starts, with the per-start fee kicking in after that initial deposit is exhausted. The per-start fee is a tiered system, starting at $110 per runner. The fee increases for those who have had workers’ comp claims. Like any workers’ comp insurance, a policyholder can be dropped, or not accepted in the first place, if they have too many claims.

HBPA Insurance will have field agents to work with horsemen to process workers’ comp claims in a timely fashion, as well as to make sure trainers and their staff adhere to safety practices.

“Workers’ comp is among the crushing costs for horsemen,” said Kentucky HBPA president Dale Romans. “This is a way to help all trainers by taking that rate down. This has been something our horsemen have wanted and needed for a long time. This is truly horsemen helping horsemen.”

This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.