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Printable Version of Letter
May 27, 2008
Dear Foxhunt Insurance Liaison,
The MFHA Hunt Club General Liability Insurance Program will renew again this year through
American Equine Insurance Group (AEIG). The administrator of the program continues to be
Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency. The carrier is the United National Group, rated A
(Excellent) by A.M. Best. As before, each of our club policies will renew on July 1st or
when the required materials are received at Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency, whichever is
later.
Your club is one of over 120 clubs that participate in the MFHA Insurance Program. We
believe the insurance is superior to other insurance offered to foxhunting clubs in
coverage, service, and cost. We are very proud of how well the program has been accepted.
This letter is being sent to all the hunts that currently participate in the program.
I enclose the 2008-2009 MFHA Hunt Club General Liability Enrollment application. Please
complete the application and promptly return it with your check payable to Hallmark Equine
Insurance Agency so that there will be no gap in your coverage. Your hunt’s insurance
renewal will go into effect on the later of 7/1/2008 or the date that your application and
check are received at Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency.
There are two coverage limits available. We highly recommend the three million dollar
limit at $17 per participant, or if you wish, you can obtain a one million occurrence and
two million dollar aggregate limit at $9 per participant. There is a minimum premium per
club of $450 for the three million dollar limit, and $350 for the one million occurrence
and two million dollar aggregate limit.
Each hunt is required to make a good faith estimate of the number of participants it
anticipates for the policy period, July 1, 2008-2009. If, for any reason, your hunt
exceeds that good faith estimate in a material manner (we suggest an excess of 5 or more
to be material), this must be reported to AEIG through Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency,
and an additional premium paid.
If any hunt, at the time of a loss, has seriously underestimated its number of
participants without reporting this material change to American Equine Insurance Group
through Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency (and paying the appropriate additional premium),
coverage for that loss, or any loss, may be adversely affected.
A “participant” is any rider who participates in a riding activity with your
club. Each participant is expected to sign a release each year. Your club should maintain
the releases and keep a record of every person who has signed a release, by year, in a
simple database program, or alphabetized in some manner.
EXAMPLES of premium calculations based on a selection of $3,000,000 coverage at a premium
of $17 per “participant”.
EXAMPLE 1: Your club has 50 members who have ridden at many of your hunt meets during the
year. They also rode at every trail ride, schooling show, and pairs race you sponsored.
Your club will pay $17, one time, for each of these participants no matter if they each
rode at one event or many events.
Cost: $17 X 50 = $850.
Your club also had 40 other separate or individual participants during the policy year. 20
individuals capped once, 10 others rode on trail rides once, and 10 other participants
rode in the pair’s races and schooling shows. Your club would pay an additional $17,
one time, per participant for each of these 40 as well.
Cost: $17 X 40 = $680.
Your estimated participant number for the year should be 90.
Your premium: $17 X 90 = $1,530.
EXAMPLE 2: Your club has a joint meet with a visiting club that is NOT insured with the
MFHA. 10 of their members come to the joint meet that your club is hosting. Since they are
NOT insured with the MFHA, you would add $17 per participant to your estimate for the
policy year.
Cost: $17 X 10 = $170
EXAMPLE 3: If in EXAMPLE 2 above, the visiting club IS insured with the MFHA. (A list of
participating hunts is published each season on the MFHA website.) You STILL GET RELEASES
SIGNED, but you do not pay any additional premium for the visiting club.
Cost: No Additional Charge
EXAMPLE 4: You have a club picnic, or hunt ball, or dance, the coverage is still provided
but you do NOT pay any premium for these events. Attendees are NOT considered participants
since these are not riding events.
Cost: No Additional Charge
Your club can find copies of proposed releases in the MFHA publication “A Guide to
Limiting Legal Liability,” or on the MFHA website. Be sure to have any release you
select reviewed by a local attorney who understands equine law. As an example, the
releases printed in the guide and displayed on the website DO NOT meet the requirements
for the State of Virginia (or several other states with special equine liability laws).
There is an extra premium of $300 per event for any event which involves over 1,000
spectators. This is included on the application form. It can also be added later if you do
not know if you will have an event with 1,000 spectators during the insurance year.
This coverage is for hunt club liability only. Other insurance coverages are also offered
by AEIG through Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency and you should contact the Agency for
with questions.
Our coverage is provided for activities that are usual and customary to fox hunting. Large
sanctioned horse shows, golf outings, any shooting sport, bicycle events, foot racing or
any similar event -- just to name a few -- are not considered usual or customary to fox
hunting. Your club should secure additional coverage for these types of events through
your local agent.
If you have any questions about coverage, contact Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency at
800-734-0598.
You may also contact me at (310) 277-1981. Please remember that I am not a representative
of AEIG, Hallmark Equine Insurance Agency, or the United National Group, but simply the
chair of the MFHA Insurance Committee.
Sincerely,
Scott J. Tepper, MFH
Chair, Insurance & Liability Committee
Masters of Foxhounds Association
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 For more information, order the
publication, A Guide to Limiting Legal Liability by Scott
J. Tepper, MFH.
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