Veteran Equine Insurer Kiger Dies at Age 86

Veteran equine insurer Sylvester Kiger Jr., whose career included handling the insurance needs of many prominent owners and breeders, died Dec. 8 in Lexington at age 86. Kiger is survived by his wife, Cathy Lowe, son Kige Kiger, daughter Cassie Kiger (Jackson), and a special niece, Olivia Lowe. Kiger Insurance is currently managed by his wife, son, and niece. Kiger had been in the equine insurance business since 1962 when he was invited to join the Kentucky Insurance Agency by Leslie Combs II. He learned the business from the ground up and advanced in 1966 to the role of manager of Livestock Underwriters. Through the years he served as the president and general manager of Fasig-Tipton Insurance, managing partner in Fasig-Tipton Livestock Underwriters, and president of Kiger-Parks Insurance (partnering with Jerry Parks). Kiger was also involved in community and charitable organizations in Lexington and Kentucky. He was the political affairs coordinator for Kentucky House Speaker William G. Kenton, who introduced legislation establishing the Kentucky Horse Park. He also served on the Lexington Fayette County Human Rights Commission, the Lexington Public Library advisory board, and the YMCA Men's Club. He insured more Thoroughbred horses than anyone in the world from 1962-1983, and in 1984 he established Kiger Insurance. He insured major stud farms as well as top horses throughout his career, including Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winners. According to family members, among the horses he insured were Raise a Native; Vodafone Epsom Derby (G1) winner Benny the Dip; Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Plum Pretty; Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) winner and Hall of Fame inductee Manila; Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags; champion Stellar Wind, and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Accelerate. He also had the distinction of insuring two Triple Crown Winners—Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978—throughout their campaigns and careers at stud. Over the years, he worked with several notable clients, including Bing Crosby; actors John Forsythe and Sam Shepard; professional golfer Gary Player; Maine Chance Farm's Elizabeth Graham (aka Elizabeth Arden); Leslie Combs II and Brownell Combs of Spendthrift Farm; John S. Knight, the owner of Fourth Estate Racing Stable and Knight-Ridder newspapers, and his son, Landon Knight; secretary of the treasury George M. Humphrey of Whileaway Farm; and Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Kiger was a Lloyd's of London agent since the 1960s and served as president of the Kentucky Lloyd's Agents Association. He worked closely with Lloyd's Bloodstock Underwriters to provide needed insurance services for Kentucky owners and breeders. Despite all the glamour associated with these farms and owners, Kiger took as much interest and care for all of his owner/clients without regard to the horses' values. He enjoyed a close working relationship with John Williams, the manager at Spendthrift Farm for many years, and also worked with D.G. Van Clief Jr. at Fasig-Tipton Livestock Underwriters. "Syl Kiger was a wonderful guy and a Lexington original," Van Clief said. "He was my first boss when we moved from Virginia to Central Kentucky in 1976, and I went to work for Fasig-Tipton Livestock Underwriters. Syl was probably one of the brightest guys I ever worked with. He was a wonderful teacher, and I enjoyed every minute of my association with him when I worked with him and afterward. Along with a lot of other people, I hate that he is gone, and I'm really going to miss him. "He was heavily involved in the community. I think if Bill Kenton had lived, he would have gone on to become governor of Kentucky, and Syl probably would have been a cabinet member in that administration. Instead, he became what I believe was the most knowledgeable and professional individual in the equine insurance industry. I'm not sure he had any equals in that field. In many ways, you could look at him as one of the fathers of the modern equine insurance industry." A 2-year-old named Kiger is racing in the silks of John Fort's Peachtree Stable. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., he has one win and one second in three starts. "Syl Kiger defined himself as just an old alley cat," Fort said in tribute to his late friend. "To those of us who knew him well, he was a prince among all men. In an industry that is fraught with uncertainty, Syl was a steady hand. As a companion and friend, he was a complete topper. Syl saw the humor in so many small things. He was sitting beside me when I won the (Kentucky) Oaks, and I like to think I was sitting beside him when he died. His stories were told with such delight that you longed to hear them told again and again. One of my favorites was when Syl took his mother to New York and she ordered a bourbon at the Waldorf Astoria, and when asked how she would like it, her answer was simply, 'In a glass, please.' Syl loved dogs and underdogs. He found 'Ocho' in a storm drain, and that little dog became a part of our lives. May God bless Syl Kiger. He made racing a better experience." A native Lexingtonian, Kiger was the son of Sylvester Kiger and Edna Mae Nikirk Kiger and was a graduate of Henry Clay High School, where he served on the student council, competed on the football and track teams, was a member of several academic clubs, and played in the school orchestra and string ensemble. Following graduation, he worked at the Lexington Public Library for head librarian Virginia Hayes, the daughter of T.P. Hayes, the owner of 1913 Kentucky Derby winner Donerail. On Saturday afternoons, he would place Miss Hayes' bets (while learning the Dewey Decimal System) and follow the races. This kindled his early interest in horse racing. As important as any of his official recognitions, however, Kiger was known for his many acts of kindness toward the less fortunate in Lexington, especially those in the inner city. An event for family and friends to honor his life is planned for spring 2021. In lieu of flowers, consider a contribution to the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky.