Berkley Equine & Cattle

What Berkley Equine & Cattle does

Berkley Equine & Cattle is a specialized insurance underwriting division providing mortality and liability coverage for horses, registered beef cattle, and working canines. Founded in 2003, the division operates under Berkley Program Specialists and benefits from the financial backing of W. R. Berkley Corporation, a Fortune 500 / S&P 500 parent (NYSE: WRB) whose insurance subsidiaries carry A.M. Best A+ (Superior) and S&P AA- (Very Strong) ratings. The company is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky — described as "the heart of horse country" — with business operations leadership based in Alpharetta, Georgia, and distributes exclusively through a nationwide network of independent specialist insurance agencies across the continental United States (all states except Alaska and Hawaii).

The product portfolio centers on four lines: Equine Mortality Insurance (covering all breeds and disciplines with All Perils and Named Perils forms plus endorsements such as Veterinary Services, Surgical, and Stallion Infertility), Cattle Mortality Insurance (for registered beef cattle including transit and breeding stock), Canine Mortality Insurance (for police, service, airport, guard, and working dogs), and the HBPA Program, an exclusive liability product for members of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association covering Commercial General Liability, Care/Custody/Control, and legal defense costs. The company brought claims handling in-house in 2018 and operates a 24/7 claims service with ACH payment processing within 48 hours of claim agreement and policy issuance within 72 hours of complete documentation.

The revenue model is recurring annual insurance premiums on a quote-based, risk-assessed pricing structure with no publicly disclosed standard tiers. Distribution is 100% intermediated through appointed independent agencies, and the company is actively recruiting new agency partners to grow market share. Operating leverage is anchored by the Berkley parent company's decentralized model, which provides Fortune 500 reinsurance support, capital, and paper access (admitted and non-admitted) while preserving small-team agility.

Name

Berkley Equine & Cattle

Legal name

Berkley Equine & Cattle

Website

https://berkleyequine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berkley Equine & Cattle is a specialty insurance division underwriting mortality and liability coverage for horses, registered beef cattle, and working canines, distributed through independent agencies nationwide as part of W. R. Berkley Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Mortality Insurance

NAICS

Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Horses and Other Equine Production (112920)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Insurance (FSAJAMAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equine Veterinary Services (AFAEANAC), Equine Veterinary, Welfare & Anti-Doping Services (MPAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Animal mortality insurance
• Equine insurance
• Livestock insurance
• Working dog insurance
• Commercial liability insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premium Revenue: Berkley Equine & Cattle generates revenue through specialized mortality insurance premiums for horses, cattle, and canines. Coverage includes mortality and medical options with various endorsement add-ons. The company is a division of Berkley Program Specialists and provides access to admitted and non-admitted A.M. Best A+ rated insurance paper, with additional program management expertise and reinsurance support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berkley Equine & Cattle provides specialized mortality insurance coverage for horses (all breeds and disciplines), registered beef cattle, and working dogs (police, service, guard, airport), plus a tailored liability program for HBPA members. Policies are underwritten using admitted and non-admitted A.M. Best A+ rated insurance paper, and supported by a 24/7 in-house claims team with ACH payment processing within 48 hours of claim agreement.

Product overview

Berkley Equine & Cattle offers a portfolio of animal mortality insurance products centered around three core offerings: Equine Mortality Insurance (for horses of all breeds and disciplines with All Perils and Named Perils coverage options plus endorsements like Veterinary Services, Surgical, and Stallion Infertility), Cattle Mortality Insurance (specialized coverage for registered beef cattle including transit and breeding stock protection), and Canine Mortality Insurance (for working dogs including police, service, guard, and airport dogs). The company also provides the HBPA Program—a specialized liability insurance product exclusively for National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association members covering Commercial General Liability, Care/Custody/Control, and legal defense. Farm and liability coverage is handled through Berkley Agribusiness as a separate sub-brand. The portfolio is supported by 24/7 claims services with expedited payment processing via ACH.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equine Mortality Insurance Specialized mortality insurance for horses covering all breeds and disciplines (show, breeding, and pleasure horses up to 18 years old), including All Perils Coverage and Named Perils Coverage options with endorsements such as Veterinary Services, Surgical, and Stallion Infertility. Designed for thoroughbred racehorses to Olympic-level show jumpers.
• Cattle Mortality Insurance Specialized mortality coverage exclusively for the registered beef cattle industry, protecting against death or authorized humane destruction due to accident, illness, disease, or injury, with transit and breeding stock coverage options.
• Canine Mortality Insurance Mortality insurance product specifically designed for working dogs including police, service, airport, guard, and working dogs, covering death, authorized humane destruction, accident, injury, illness, disease, and theft.
• HBPA Program Specialized liability insurance program exclusively for members of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (HBPA), providing Commercial General Liability, Care/Custody/Control Coverage, and Legal Defense Costs for horse owners and trainers without owned premises.
• Equine Farm Package Policies Equine farm and liability insurance coverage underwritten by Berkley Agribusiness, providing standalone liability and farm package policies for equine operations.
• 24/7 Claims Services Round-the-clock claims support with 24/7 emergency assistance line, industry expertise in equine and cattle mortality claims, and expedited ACH payment processing within 48 hours of claim agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% customer satisfaction rating based on responsiveness, friendliness, and speed of settlement
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Central Kentucky Riding for HopeminorOthersBerkley Equine & Cattle is an active supporter of Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, a local charity. The company and its employees participate in community events and volunteering, demonstrating commitment to the communities they serve.
• National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkley Equine & Cattle offers a specialized insurance program exclusively for HBPA members who own or train horses but have no owned premises. The program provides tailored liability coverage including commercial general liability, care/custody/control coverage, and legal defense costs. The partnership reflects deep understanding of the thoroughbred racing community's unique liability exposures.
• Sterling ThompsonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party partner providing HBPA program application forms and distribution support for the HBPA liability insurance program.
• W. R. Berkley CorporationcoreOthersParent company and ultimate financial partner. W.R. Berkley Corporation is a Fortune 500 company (NYSE: WRB) and S&P 500 member. Insurance subsidiaries are rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and AA- (Very Strong) by S&P. Provides financial strength, reinsurance support, program management expertise, and access to admitted and non-admitted insurance paper.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zurich North America: Zurich North America writes livestock and farm coverage through its Commercial Insurance division for U.S. agricultural producers. It is an incumbent that overlaps with Berkley's cattle mortality book but does not specialize in the equine segment.
• The Hartford Financial Services Group: The Hartford writes livestock mortality coverage through its Middle Market and Small Commercial segments as part of a broader P&C portfolio. It is an incumbent with overlapping livestock mortality capability, though with less specialization in the equine niche where Berkley focuses.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance: Liberty Mutual is a large diversified P&C carrier whose specialty risks operations have included equine mortality underwriting (historically through what became the AXA XL platform); John Egan held underwriting leadership at Liberty Mutual prior to joining Berkley. It competes indirectly as a broad incumbent with the resources to expand into specialty mortality niches.
• AIG Private Client Group: AIG's Private Client Group writes equine mortality and farm/ranch coverage for high-net-worth individuals owning horses and other valuable animals. It competes in the same end market as Berkley Equine & Cattle but as part of a broad private client insurance portfolio.
• CNA Financial: CNA writes specialty coverage including livestock mortality and farm/ranch insurance through its Commercial and Specialty divisions. It competes for similar agricultural clients but as part of a broader commercial P&C book rather than a dedicated animal mortality specialist.
• Chubb: Chubb's High Net Worth and Personal Insurance divisions offer equine mortality and liability coverage for affluent horse owners as part of broader specialty personal lines. It is a broad incumbent that competes for the same premium dollars as Berkley Equine & Cattle, but with a much larger product portfolio and broader underwriting appetite.
• Travelers Insurance: Travelers offers livestock mortality and farm/ranch coverage through its Agribusiness and Commercial lines divisions. It serves similar agricultural producers but as a broad P&C incumbent rather than a specialist in equine mortality.

Direct peers

• Great American Insurance Group: Great American operates a dedicated equine mortality division writing mortality and related coverage for horses across breeds and disciplines through independent agents. It is one of the most direct comparables to Berkley Equine & Cattle in product scope, distribution model (agent-based), and specialty underwriting focus.
• AXA XL: AXA XL's insurance division writes equine and livestock mortality coverage, and several Berkley Equine & Cattle senior underwriters (John Egan, Rita Kane) previously held underwriting roles at XL Insurance and Catlin (now part of AXA XL). It is a direct competitor with comparable specialty underwriting expertise.
• Markel Group: Markel is the dominant U.S. specialty insurer for equine and livestock mortality, with deep underwriting expertise and a long-established broker/agent network. It competes head-to-head with Berkley Equine & Cattle across horse, cattle, and specialty animal lines, and is where Berkley's VP John Egan previously served as Underwriting Manager.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkley-equine-cattle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berkley Equine & Cattle