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California Riding Magazine • February, 2010 Equine Insurance
by Regina Antonioli |
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Walking around the grounds at a recent horse show, Joe Parker and Donna Chopp were enthusiastically greeted by an exhibitor with a friendly, “Hey, I know you—you’re the snack people.” This may not be a traditional salutation for the president and account executive of an insurance agency, but it goes a long way in defining their company, Equine Insurance. The company byline states, “We are horse people who understand the investment in your horse.” And, they mean it. These are really horse people and they not only appreciate the monetary investment a client has in a horse, they understand the emotion involved.
Donna Chopp & Joe Parker. Photo ©Erpelding Photography Joe Parker grew up on a farm and around horses. While in college at Fresno State he was an accounting major. After graduation, Parker was looking for that right career move. “I always had a desire to breed and The decision was a good one. He later started Peach Tree Farms. The farm, outside Fresno, boasts just over a hundred acres and sports, you guessed it, peach trees and, of course, Thoroughbreds. Throughout his career Parker has been on the Board of Directors for the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and is a past president. Entrenched in the horses, Parker General Insurance added equine mortality coverage to its roster, but Parker was looking for more. Donna Chopp has also nurtured a love of horses throughout her life. Even her sideline love of teaching aerobics was always described as a great way to keep in shape for riding. She currently trains with Rainbow Canyon Ranch in Azusa and shows hunters and equitation in the Adult Amateur division. Chopp has also rediscovered her love of drawing, and has been busy turning out horse and dog portraits for friends and family. Following college Chopp got a job working for a Southern California company that specialized in insurance for the equestrian community. The rest is history, as they say. Parker bought that company and kept Chopp on the payroll. That company is now Equine Insurance, a Division of Parker General Insurance.
Joe with his stallion, Crossword, that stands at Peachtree Farm. Located in the Los Angeles area’s Arcadia, (Parker commutes from Fresno a couple of days every week) the company now has four additional people on staff and prides itself on providing “responsible service and the competitive price you deserve.” They offer the full range of equine packages including mortality, major medical, surgical, stallion fertility, as well as farm and ranch packages, liability and workers compensation. They represent many fine carriers including American Bankers, Hartford, ACE/Cigna and Allied. “I think what helps us is our connection with Parker General,” states Parker. “On several occasions we have been asked to cover the $4,000,000 barn and/or $10,000,000/$20,000,000 homes. Along with our workers compensation program and other types of coverages, clients seem to appreciate that kind of help as well as other special needs coverage which can be discussed with our staff.”
Just a few of Equine Insurance’s clients - clockwise from top left: Mary Gatti’s large hunter/jumper training program, Rainbow Canyon Ranch, is one of many top training barns on Equine Insurance’s client roster. Gatti’s business has been with Equine Insurance for 20-plus years and Gatti says it has always been a great relationship. In the few incidents that have arisen at Rainbow Canyon, Equine Insurance has been quick, effective and thorough in their response and follow-through. Helping clients understand the types and quantities of insurance they need is a service Gatti greatly appreciates. “It can be complicated,” she notes. Annual reviews of Rainbow Canyon’s policy ensure that the business is well protected. Rainbow Canyon ranch manager Candise Pipkin echoes Gatti’s satisfaction with Equine Insurance. It’s particularly handy that Chopp rides at Rainbow Canyon, but even when she’s not at the stable, Pipkin says answers are easy to get for both Rainbow Canyon and their clients who have questions about the best policies for their horses. “We feel very comfortable and confident referring our clients to Equine Insurance,” Pipkin notes. “Donna has a very nice office staff and they always pick up the phone; you never go to voice mail. We have the sense that they will kind of drop everything and take good care of us.”
Donna & Joe at Equine Affaire. Photo ©Erpelding Photography One of the guiding rules at Equine Insurance is that it is not enough to just provide an excellent service to the community. You must give back to the community you are a part of. And serve. Equine Insurance has been a consistent and loyal sponsor of equestrian sports. Some of the more noted recipients of their generosity include the Del Mar International, the Del Mar National, the Langer Equestrian Group, the San Fernando Horse Show Association, the Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association, the California Dressage Society, the CDS LA Chapter awards, the Southern California CDS JR/YR Championship, Del Mar Eventing at Galway and Woodside, Bleinheim Equisports, the San Fernando Hunter Jumper Association, the Tri Valley Horse Show Association and the Sacramento International Horse Show. By now, you may be wondering what all this has to do with “snacks.” When sponsoring an event, Equine Insurance sets up a booth, with flyers and brochures outlining their services, which is not unusual. What is unique is that their booth always has an array of chocolates, water, fruit from Parker’s farm or, the most popular of all, a special recipe trail mix. The trail mix is always packaged in small cellophane bags and tied with a familiar green ribbon. And, just as they do with their insurance service, Parker and Chopp put out that extra effort with their snacks. You may not always find them sitting at their booth, because they wander the barns and the back gates to bring the snacks to exhibitors. Sometimes they even give extra gifts, such as mugs, note pads or garment bags. Yes, these are promotional items with the company’s horse head logo on them, but then again, how good does it feel to get a free gift and a snack?
For more information on Equine Insurance, visit www.equine-ins.com or call 626-445-2100.
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