Christopher Bartle, Badminton winner and trainer of the British eventing team, has agreed a sponsorship deal with Kbis Equine Insurance.

Christopher Bartle, leading Eventer and trainer, is endorsing Kbis Equine Insurance. The three year agreement will include initiatives to benefit Kbis policy holders and members of the Yorkshire Riding Centre, Harrogate.

Christopher and his sister Jane run the Yorkshire Riding Centre, started by their Belgian mother Nicole in 1963. She had a keen interest in dressage, so encouraged her children, in their year out before university, to spend a year in France with the former chief instructor of the Cadre Noir, the French National Cavalry School. At that time Christopher particularly enjoyed racing, so he chose to do his economics degree at Bristol, where he could ride out for trainers in the Salisbury Plain area. After college he returned to the family business and bought Wily Trout. The wild and hairy Eventer became a Burghley prospect, but damaged his tendon two weeks before the event. Then, with the help of Swedish trainer Hans von Blixen-Frinecke, the combination moved up through the dressage rankings to claim the best Olympic dressage placing for a British rider - sixth in the 1984 Olympics.

Christopher then took up eventing again. His relaxed, easy going character is particularly suited to hot or excitable horses. He has coaxed several of these to the top, including,

• Up River, who won the Scottish Open in 1991,
• Castle Hill, seventh at Burghley in 1995 and
• Word Perfect, winner of the Scottish Open in 1997 and Badminton in 1998.

Word Perfect's super season put him on target for the World Games, however a minor tendon injury in August has put him out until next year. The disappointment is slightly lessened by the promising performances of Christopher's reserve horse Oscar. Owned by local horse enthusiast, Ann Henson, Oscar was third at Bramham and fifth in the Scottish Open. Although horse-less for the World Games Christopher went out to Italy as team trainer. He has been team trainer since 1993, pointing out: "Once competitions are in full swing the trainer has more of a role as a sports psychologist. The real training goes on in the winter."

NPS show success

The National Pony Society members now stand at 3000. In their annual championship show, held at Malvern for over 30 years, the top ponies competed for the 1998 titles.

The Kbis M&M Leading Rein Final had over 40 entries.

Pictured is Liz Prest, Kbis Director, presenting the prize to the 1998 winner - Rachel Reece, 8, riding Peel Maestro.

West of England Novice Eventers

Over 3000 entries are taken each year in the Kbis West of England series. The organiser of Taunton Horse Trails, Audrey Bere, started the series in 1970 to encourage more competitors to visit the West County. Horses finishing first or second in the West of England events qualify for the final, held at Taunton. "In the early days there was a great reluctance for competitors to travel West. Roads are now much improved, and competitors are far happier to travel long distances for a good event," she says.

Loyalty at the West of England Events is rewarded with the Kbis accumulator. A horse's best four placings in West of England Horse Trials go forward to the £500 prize.

The 1999 series started with the novice sections at Taunton in 1998, and takes in 26 events, up to and including Urchinwood Manor on August 26, 1999.

Pony parent power works

The first Pony of the Year show jumping series attracted huge support, including sponsorship of the novice championship by Kbis equine insurance.

There were 15 different qualifying shows, with the top three going forward to the finals at Hartbury College, Glos.

The Kbis Novice Grand Prix drew a huge crowd, who saw the superb sympathetic, yet confident riding of 13 year old Lauley Squibb take the championship, as pictured. She was riding Willbound, a six year old who, before the competition had already clocked up £300 BSJA winnings. Lauley has represented Britain and her wins include the Grand Prix at the snow show, Maubeuge and the Hickstead 138cms Derby.

The great news for Kbis is that her parents, Les and Pat are Kbis customers!

What the L?

Would you know what the "L" freeze mark signified, if you saw it on a horse? Potential buyers should especially be aware of its purpose - it will warn them that the horse has been the subject of a "loss of use" insurance payout.

The "L" freezemark was introduced after it became clear that unscrupulous dealers were selling horses as sound prospects to unsuspecting buyers. It was implemented by the Equine Insurance Forum, a group of 12 companies, to further communication between insurers and equine organisations; foster links with the veterinary profession, and promote the benefits of insurance to horse and pony owners.

The freezemark is administered by Farmkey and registered with the British Horse Society Database. The result of this has been to almost totally eliminate those horses being sold on without knowledge of their previous history. On all horses except greys, the freezemark is placed on the back just behind the wither, or underneath any existing security freezemark. With a grey, the freezemark is placed on the shoulder. Any potential horse owner can then telephone the British Horse Database on (01933) 274363 and find out which insurer has paid the claim on the horse. The purchaser can contact the insurance company involved and receive a brief history of the horse.

One "L" of a success story - to date some 650 horses have been freezemarked with the " L" brand. In these horses the purchase price should reflect the limitations of its injury. For any rider wishing to have a horse just as a hack, it can provide a cost-effective answer. Some companies will still insure horses that have had a permanent loss of use claim but limit policies to death, theft, straying and restricted vets' fee cover. Understandably the condition for which the claim was paid is excluded from any policy and each case is taken on merit.

Have you got your horse covered? - Permanent loss of use insurance is becoming increasingly important for most horse owners. The majority of permanent loss of use claims result from disease or sickness and not accidental external injury and the variety of conditions which "L" branded horses have is enormous.