Mary Phelps and Tracey Scharf Visit Markel

Reviewing Equine Mortality and Medical/Surgical Coverages

Dawn Denzler-Trace is the Mortality Operations Manager, who oversees the Mortality Team consisting of 9 mortality underwriters. (Dawn has been with Markel for 18 years!) Monday morning we reviewed mortality coverages. Linda Crooks and Dawn were joined by Mary Ann Kean, Director of Mortality Underwriting. Also present was Kellie Chambers, our assigned liaison at Markel for managing our clients. Mary Ann Kean has been in love with horses her entire life. As Director of Mortality Underwriting she has been employed by Markel for 15 years. With her Virginia roots in the hunter jumper and foxhunting world, she is also has been a licensed steward for USAE for 10 years. In addition, her presence at many of the major APHA, NRHA and AQHA functions is in support of Markel's successful involvement as the official insurance company of each of these associations.

The latest technologies are constantly being addressed and updated, with the support to make it work. With the assistance of the team at Markel, we now provide easy access to all applications, as well as an informative insurance tour on HorsesDaily.com, which explains mortality coverage, and allows us to respond with a personal quote in a timely manner. We will soon be able to bind coverage on-line through HorsesDaily.com, and continue to be able to facilitate the application process for our clients by having all applications in a PDF file, easily attached to an e-mail. As we got to meet many of the fine people in this department, we were welcomed with friendly smiles. Office cubicles are spacious and comfortable, and an array of photos, of family, horses and friends decorates each space. With everyone we meet, there is instant recognition. Rudy Mitchell, who works with the Mortality Team inputting new business, recognized me right away, before we were even introduced. I asked how he knew me and he replied “I’ve been seeing your name all day long on paperwork, keep it coming!”

As an agent who is on the road and on the scene, covering over 30 events in both the United States as a photographer and journalist, the support we get at Markel is the strategy that makes the Markel Equine Insurance Specialist program work. With Tracey managing our home office in Florida, and our corporate team in Virgina, there is always a a real person behind every aspect of taking care of our clients.