Dear Desert Horse Park community,
We have completed all of the refunds for entry deposits for Desert Circuit Weeks V to VIII. If you have not received yours, please reach out and let us know.
We are now focused and ready to issue refunds for circuit stalls and season stalls. The refunds for circuit stalls are for up to four weeks of canceled shows and the refunds for season passes are for up to four weeks of the season that the property was closed, depending on when you left the horse park.
You can elect to roll over your refund to your ShowGrounds Live account for next season or get a refund check. Some people have inquired about donating their refund to pay an extra bonus to staff that could not work during the canceled part of the circuit. If you elect to do this, we will match your credit. Some people have inquired about our UC Davis research project. You can also choose to direct your credit to fund future research on EHV-1 and we will add it to the commitment we have made already.
Please send an email to office@deserthorsepark.com to request your refund and let us know your preferred approach regarding how to access or direct your funds.
On another note, some have asked about the comparison of EHV-1 data from the CDFA versus our updates. From the beginning, we wanted to report detail on the situation and status at the horse park so that there is transparency and clarity for everyone. Our updates are sent to our entire database by email and posted on our website, Facebook, and Instagram. IMPORTANTLY, every update is reviewed and approved, prior to distribution, by the CDFA, USEF, East-West Equine Veterinary Service, our staff, and my partners. This ensures accuracy of information. No update goes out without written approval by all of the groups.
From the beginning, when we discussed our desire to communicate directly about the EHV-1 situation at DIHP (in addition to what was going to be available on the CDFA website), the State made sure that we did not report on anything outside of the actual grounds of the horse park. They are the sole source of accurate information on EHV-1 cases throughout the state. Because they had approval rights on everything we communicated, they were comfortable that our reports on the specifics of the horse park, when viewed as a slice of the entire report for the state, was part of an accurate and consistent picture for everyone. We are not the reporters for the State information and we don’t have access to similar information on EHV-1 cases throughout California. Any differences from what is reported is either from: (1) what the State considers to be a case on our property versus outside our property; or (2) timing, as we typically update earlier than information is posted on the CDFA website. We hope this clarifies any confusion.
Steve