‘We can’t get a quote’ – horse club shuts over insurance

THE Kerry County Hunt Club has become the latest victim of the insurance crisis which its supporters say has gripped the equestrian industry.

The organisation, despite its name, did not do any hunting – as members rode their horses along pre-arranged routes through the countryside, with the agreement of local farmers and landowners.

However, the Hunt Club has hung up its boots for the final time, with its members saying goodbye at a social night in the Killarney Avenue Hotel.

Club chair Ros Cotter said the decision was forced by the rising cost of insurance. ‘We used to have about 22 Sundays out between November and March and they were big community days – it’s a huge loss to everyone involved,’ she said. ‘It’s not just clubs in Kerry being affected by rising insurance, but clubs all over Ireland.’

Rebecca Treacy, club secretary, said insurance had caused massive problems throughout the equine industry, adding: ‘Back in 2021, all hunting and point-to-points were at an impasse for some weeks. While some problems were resolved, smaller clubs and organisations are still struggling – certainly not due to a lack of effort in this instance.

Ms Treacy said it was impossible to get a quote for insurance once the word ‘equestrian’ was mentioned. She said: ‘Despite having been in operation for ten-plus years and never having a claim, there is no underwriter or policy available.’

The horse sport industry’s insurance challenges peaked after Brexit, when many insurers pulled out of the Irish market. Recently, junior finance minister and Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said insurance ‘pinch points’ of higher-risk activities such as horse riding had been ‘resolved’. However, stakeholders pointed out that it will take years for Government reforms to be tested in the courts.