United States Eventing Association

Christy Stauffer’s love of horses began at age 13 and has shaped nearly every chapter of her life. From Pony Club to Western to her current love of eventing, horses have always been at the heart of her story.

After immersing herself in the eventing mecca of Middleburg, Virginia, in the 1990s managing a barn, Stauffer started a family with her husband, former upper-level eventer and combined driver Eric Stauffer, and eased into a less physically demanding job in the early 2000s with Virginia Equine Imaging (VEI). By 2015, as she entered her mid-40s, Christy was ready for another career shift—one that would still keep her connected to the equine industry. She joined Broadstone Equine Insurance, bringing her decades of firsthand horse experience to her new role.

When Broadstone was bought by Marshall+ Sterling in 2019, Christy made the move and has been enjoying her rewarding career in their Warrenton, Virginia, office ever since.

We caught up with Christy to learn more about her life with horses, the leap she took mid-career, and her advice for anyone looking to work in equine insurance.

This conversation has been edited for space and clarity.

Tell me about growing up in Ringoes, New Jersey, and your experience with horses.

A friend of mine had a couple of Western horses, so we would ride Western around. There were all these huge open fields. We were out riding one day, and this German guy who had a farm came up to us, and he's like, ‘Oh, you should come down to my place and ride. I've got some horses.’ So, I went down there. His name was Gus Van der Mark, and he taught me everything. He took me fox hunting, with Essex Fox Hounds in New Jersey, and I joined the Amwell Valley Hounds Pony Club, which I loved. I even got through my ‘B’ rating.

Louise McCarthy was involved in the Area II Young Riders. This was, you know, 100 years ago too! She asked me to do this training program with Wash Bishop, so I started riding with Wash when I was 18. I moved to Middleburg when I was 19, and I took a semester off from college to come ride. And I'm still on that semester off from college! I remember coming down to Middleburg and thinking, this is like the most amazing place I've ever been, because it was literally just all about the horses.

That’s where I met so many wonderful people, Jan Byyny, and my husband, Eric, who I met at Wash’s when he came down from Pennsylvania to also be a working student. Julie Gomena was another huge influence in my life back then. We lived together, and my horse was at her barn. It was such a close-knit, supportive community—it really shaped who I am. Eric and I got married in 1997, and we had already had our own barn.

What path did your career take next?

I was competing at Training and Preliminary, but I wasn't loving it anymore. We had had our son, Payton, in 1999, and when he was probably about 4, I pretty much stopped riding and went to work for Kent Allen over at Virginia Equine Imaging. I called him up and said, ‘Do you have anything available?’ And he said, ‘Sure, come on over.’

I worked at VEI for 13 years as a vet tech, and I learned so much there and met a lot of great people. That was huge for me, just seeing the other side of things and gaining a whole new perspective. You’d have everything from a backyard pony to a four-star horse walk through the door—every type of horse, every type of issue.

I ran the bone scan machine every day with Lisa Welch, who I worked with for 13 years there. Then she decided she wanted a career change and went to work at Broadstone Equine Insurance. I was so sad when she left—but I completely understood.

Then the next year, she called me and said, ‘Christy, there's an opening at Broadstone. Would you be interested in coming over?’ I thought about it for a while and went in and talked to Amy [Daum] a couple times. And then finally I went to work at Broadstone in September of 2015.

What made you want to make that career change?

I was just ready to learn something new. I was 45 and wanted to not be so hard on my body. Working around all the tough horses, holding for flexion tests—it just wears you down after a while. I’d had three Achilles surgeries, and I was getting a little broken down.

When I started at Broadstone, I remember thinking, ‘I am never going to learn all of this stuff.’ It just felt like way too much, but Lisa kept telling me, ‘You’ll be fine—you’re going to learn it.’ And I believed her.

Sure enough, I did learn it—and now it’s something I really enjoy. I love talking about it, and I still love learning more about it, even 10 years later.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I really enjoy helping people learn the differences between the various coverages. A lot of times, people are just told, ‘Oh, you want mortality and medical—this is what it costs.’ But there’s a lot more to it than that. Each company offers different types of coverage, and we always want to make sure people truly understand what they’re getting.

I just enjoy helping people with that part of it. Back when I was riding, I had a horse that I didn’t insure. My husband kept telling me I should, but I didn’t—and sure enough, that horse ended up needing colic surgery. He went over to Morven Park (Leesburg, Virginia), was there for three weeks, had to have a second surgery, and didn’t make it.

Losing a horse is horrible, but to lose one and not have insurance—it’s not just the emotional side. You’re also faced with all the medical expenses and the loss itself. It was a hard lesson for me to learn, and that’s why I really understand that side of it when I talk to clients.

What does a day in your life at M&S look like?

These days I oversee the equine mortality division which includes multiple offices across the United States. My day can consist of many different things—I help our customer service specialists if they run into a problem with a client or underwriter or have a question related to coverages. I quote clients, review and process new applications, renew policies, and talk on the phone with clients who have questions. Basically, I’m here to help—whether it’s a client calling with a question or a teammate who needs a hand.

I really enjoy the people part of this job. Every day is a little different, and I love that I still get to be connected to the horse industry in a meaningful way.

What advice would you give either a young person who wants to get into this industry or someone like you who wants to change careers later in life?

I’d say, ask a lot of questions—no. 1. Get connected with people who are already in the business and talk to them. If you’re on LinkedIn or Facebook, follow people who work in the industry. And if you can get a job as an assistant at an insurance company, do it. The best way to learn is to be around it.

There's two different sides; there's the agency side, and then there's the underwriting side. I only know about the agency side, but I really think having equine experience is critical. When you’re talking to horse people, they know if you’re a horse person or not. Being able to have a real conversation about what their horse is going through is crucial.

Leverage your shared experience. If you’re a rider, breeder, or trainer—any of that—it’s all great experience to bring to this job. You’re talking to horse people, and having that connection really matters.

You’ll need to have your property and casualty license to work in this field. And do your own research—read up on the different coverages offered by various companies. The Marshall+Sterling Equine page has a lot of great information, and it’s always good to keep learning.

About Marshall+Sterling

Founded in 1864, Marshall+Sterling is a 100% employee-owned national independent risk solutions partner, providing business and personal insurance, employee benefits, and wealth management solutions. Marshall+Sterling is committed to empowering customers to predict, prepare for, and preempt risk—creating a future that’s safer and more secure. Headquartered in New York and licensed in all states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the firm is regularly recognized among the top 50 of privately held insurance brokers in the United States.