I too lost my deposit for the WES clinic, thankfully before I had paid the full amount. It clearly states that the deposit is non-refundable. I also lost a large sum on a non-wes clinic with an American trainer that I had paid for in full, so I can understand your frustration, none of us like to waste our hard-earned cash. However, having also been "on the other side" organising events, I can assure you that the reason everyone (not just WES) ends up with these rules is because people really do mess you about these days. Not that I am doubting that your reasons were genuine but unfortunately so many people come up with all sorts of excuses, when the truth is they just cannot be bothered or just go off the idea at the last minute. So unfortunately the only way to get the commitment out of people these days is to make them pay up front. I am sure anyone who has ever organised an event will tell you it can be soul destroying at times. If you do not get non-refundable deposits from people they often do not even let you know they are not coming. You cannot organise an event without planning the finances and you cannot do that if you do not know until the day who will turn up and pay.
I am just grateful that despite the moans and groans there are still people out there willing to organise events for us. I think it is fair to offer full refunds only with vet or Doctors certificate. I did not enjoy losing my money this year but I accept that is how is has to be and it will not stop me from booking my place next year because I am fully committed to western.
Oh and by the way, I do not think your statement about a large sum of money sitting in the WES acccount unused is accurate. Costs of everything have gone up dramatically over the last couple of years which affects WES as much as anyone.

Post edited by: curly, at: 2008/08/25 19:23

Alexsmum I'm sorry to hear you lost your money but as Curly and Mejopa point out, it was a non-refundable deposit (as are most clinic deposit bookings, for the reasons explained above). It's not a Western thing, it's a modern-day thing. I was booked on a Mary Wanless RWYM clinic last year which I had to bale out of because, oops, it clashed with my first-ever Western show ! Not only did I lose my deposit (by then, full payment had been made) - but although there remained an option to get my money back through reselling the place, the onus was on me, as the purchaser, to find the replacement candidate, it wasn't the job of the organisers and the terms clearly stated that. My plan X didn't quite work out so I too lost my money - but life sometimes just goes like that. And the whole of the equestrian field is affected, English, Western, whatever. As Curly says, an organiser's biggest nightmare is getting any form of financial commitment up front so that events don't continually end up in deficit.

I lost money a few years ago after entering my horse at the WES championship show. He needed shoeing and in spite of booking the farrier well in advance for special sliding shoes, he let me down not once but twice, including the night before we were due to go to the show! As he had no shoes on at all, we were advised by a WES committee member NOT to take him as the ground was 'stoney' from the car park down to the arena. So he was scratched from the competition. In this case for a clinic that had a waiting list, I feel it was unfair that Alexsmum was not able to 'sell' her place to someone on that waiting list. It would not have caused a problem to WES, they would have lost nothing and somebody else would have gained the opportunity to go to the clinic when they were otherwise unable to do so! What was so hard about putting Alexsmum in touch with someone on the waiting list? We are supposed to be encouraging people to ride western and in this instance quite frankly I think it was a bit of a rip off! Sorry but that is my opinion and I know it won't be many other peoples!

Thanks all, re the potential replacement for my place. I didnt ask the organsiers to try and organise this for me , courtesy of the internet I could do that easily and as they had a waiting list then irrespective of this it would have been an easy thing to arrange.

I have no idea what fund WES has in its cofers, I just objected to the fact that I was told others were waiting but I couldnt transfer my place. Yes it was non refundable but no one mentioned that 'and a jobs worth ' attittude would be applied to a practical and sensible solution to help me and some one awaiting a place.

As I have stated in previous posts it really soured my attitude to wes, and Im glad I posted this on an open forum as others who may consider paying for a clinic can take due warning.

Sorry if it offended any one timing wise, it is due to the fact that it has:
a. really rankled for a long time with me, and
b. I have just now settled down in new home job ect and have the sapre time to consider other issues.

I had no idea that wes had run a three day show however I honestly cant make a connection between that and my post and Im a bit baffled that some one else has.

Finally, I treasure freedom of speech so I have read others comments with interest and considered there views, either agreeing or otherwise with mines. Every ones entilted to a view and I have expressed mine.

Thanks all, re the potential replacement for my place. I didnt ask the organsiers to try and organise this for me , courtesy of the internet I could do that easily and as they had a waiting list then irrespective of this it would have been an easy thing to arrange.

I have no idea what fund WES has in its cofers, I just objected to the fact that I was told others were waiting but I couldnt transfer my place. Yes it was non refundable but no one mentioned that 'and a jobs worth ' attittude would be applied to a practical and sensible solution to help me and some one awaiting a place.

As I have stated in previous posts it really soured my attitude to wes, and Im glad I posted this on an open forum as others who may consider paying for a clinic can take due warning.

Sorry if it offended any one timing wise, it is due to the fact that it has:
a. really rankled for a long time with me, and
b. I have just now settled down in new home job ect and have the sapre time to consider other issues.

I had no idea that wes had run a three day show however I honestly cant make a connection between that and my post and Im a bit baffled that some one else has.

Finally, I treasure freedom of speech so I have read others comments with interest and considered there views, either agreeing or otherwise with mines. Every ones entilted to a view and I have expressed mine.

mejopa wrote:
Expecting another subsidy towards training, just because there is money in the bank, seems a little excessive. I doubt that any other equestrian organisation does this.

actually most of them do, BE, BD both have young rider training programmes where you pay for the trainer but not for anything else, and these are subsidies wher necessary, BSJA also do but as they do less training they dont have to the same.

WES also pay towards the younth clinic so why not for the older riders seeing as over the last two years there wasnt even any youth clinics