UK RACEHORSE OWNERS ASSN ADDS TPL TO MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

The UK’s Racehorse Owners’ Association (ROA) has added third-party liability insurance to its benefits in the wake of a legal case against the owner of the horse Saameq, which injured Chris Kinane, a trainer’s assistant in a paddock accident in 2005. The injuries were so severe that Mr Kinane is likely to require constant care for the rest of his life. David Irvine, the majority owner of Saameq, is being sued by Mr Kinane’s family, along with the horse’s trainer Ian Semple. Mr Semple is insured but Mr Irvine was not. ROA chief executive Michael Harris said that the case had left many horse owners concerned about potentially multi-million pound claims. Although trainers are required to have public liability insurance, owners are not. The TPL deal has been set up through regional broker Lycetts Hamilton with QBE Insurance (Europe), providing an indemnity of up to £10m per individual claim.