Stobart Group Behind New Welfare Insurance Scheme For Jockeys

A sponsorship deal with logistics company Stobart Group is enabling the Professional Jockeys Association to re-introduce career ending insurance (CEI) for its members. As part of the new agreement, Stobart Group also becomes the headline sponsor of The Lesters, horse racing’s ‘Oscars’,  for the next two years.
 
The insurance deal has come about after the British Horseracing Authority agreed a new branding site for jockeys - on their ‘posteriors’. Stobart Group is match funding the CEI scheme with the jockeys themselves also making a personal contribution.
 
PJA’s Joint Presidents Steve Drowne and AP McCoy said: “Jockeys have one of the most dangerous jobs in sport, so insurance is important for most of us.”
 
“As an Association, we have not been able to offer career ending insurance since 2008 because of the prohibitive cost of premiums.  Therefore, we are delighted that such a prestigious company as Stobart Group has agreed to become a PJA sponsor and that the income from the new ‘posterior’ branding site is going to be used for the welfare of all Jockeys,” said Kevin Darley, Chief Executive of the PJA.
 
The PJA sponsorship deal is not Stobart’s first involvement in horse racing with race and stable sponsorship featuring amongst other initiatives the company is involved in.
 
Stobart Group’s Chief Executive Andrew Tinkler is a significant racehorse owner, who has invested heavily in bloodstock and will have about 60 horses in training this year.
 
Andrew Tinkler, Stobart Group’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “It’s great that we can help support the PJA in a way that is actually going to make a difference to the jockeys themselves.  I understand the risks involved in business and we have processes in place to minimise those.  So it’s reasonable to suggest the same should be true within sport.  I’m pleased that our support will be put to such good use.”