All Horses/Riders at Florida Gold & Gulf Coast Shows To Be Protected with ShowPlus®
Florida Gold & Gulf Coast Shows will be automatically protected with ShowPlus®.
By Delores Kuhlwein
A new type of protection is emerging for the western world of showing, and it’s in the form of a program called ShowPlus®.
All horses/riders at the upcoming Florida Gold & Gulf Coast Shows in Tampa, Florida, will automatically have ShowPlus® protection, which is designed to reimburse out-of-pocket costs that may not be covered by insurance. ShowPlus® allows riders and owners to compete with peace of mind.
“This is a relatively new program in the ‘western world’ of the shows, but it is very popular in the Hunter/Jumper world. It is a great opportunity to have a ‘safety net’ when hauling to a big show,” says Kathy Avolt of An Equine Production. “We are very excited to be presenting it at the first ‘western’ show this December in Tampa.”
Ghen Sugimoto, CEO of ShowPlus®, explains that the program was created to support riders and horse owners for incidents not covered by traditional insurance, and it’s offered to the event organizer for competitors. The best way to think about the protection, which is not insurance, is to compare it to credit card benefits. “By signing up for a Visa card, for example, every card holder has benefits to cover them if the trip gets interrupted” he says. “Similarly designed, ShowPlus® offers protection to show organizers for its horse owners and riders for an expensive sport that comes with risk.”
Sugimoto explains that the protection is being offered by increasingly more Hunter, Jumper, and Dressage event organizers, and it was utilized at two Canine shows in 2022. He also says that just as an exhibitor wouldn’t expect to see a line item for good footing for a prestigious event, the protection wouldn’t be a separate expense – it would be inherent in registering for the event, so any entrants are automatically enrolled.
If an incident is reported, ShowPlus® is able to confirm from the show roster that the horse/rider was entered and was present in at least one class. “Additionally, there’s no limit to the number of classes,” Sugimoto clarifies.
ShowPlus® and their actuarial team work with the show organizer to design their benefit schedule around their particular clientele, and that schedule gets customized based on the needs of the organizer. They develop a flat fee times the number of registered horses.
Since the program is not designed to deny benefits and it’s there to provide relief when a covered incident occurs, Sugimoto says they expect to see a similar type of growth trend in Western Disciplines as they’ve experienced in Hunter Jumper and Dressage disciplines, especially once people use the program and see how easy it is. “You’ll see QR codes plastered all over a ShowPlus® event, you’ll see ring attendants well-versed in the coverage to give advice on how to file an incident, and the usability of the program really comes to light.”
ShowPlus®, says Sugimoto, fills an unmet void in the industry, just as their other programs, AcutePlus and TravelPlus are doing. AcutePlus has similar benefits to ShowPlus and it’s available through select equine veterinarians, and TravelPlus has similar benefits but is offered through select equine transporters, both air and ground.
Learn more about this program on the ShowPlus® website: https://showplus.com
Access your Florida Gold & Gulf Coast Shows benefits by clicking here.
