Buying tickets for next summer’s World Equestrian Games (WEG) in France is proving problematic.
Major gripes include problems navigating the website, site crashes and the tickets being “packaged” with others that people do not want.
However, 200,000 more individual tickets are due to be released for sale in March.
“The ticketing process is so ridiculous, it almost rivals the frustrating experience of buying Olympic tickets,” said H&H reader Marcia MacLeod.
“Tickets are only being sold in ‘packages’, pairing up sessions in different disciplines.”
H&H Facebook fan Marie-Claude Ceppi agreed: “They offer specific combinations of events. I find it frustrating.”
Another reader, who wanted eventing tickets, added: “They were only offering either a pass for dressage and showjumping or a pass for cross-country and showjumping. Nothing so you could go to a three-day event!”
WEG, which is to be held in Normandy from 23 August until 7 September, includes eventing, dressage, vaulting showjumping, para dressage, driving, reining and endurance.
Some 15,000 tickets went on sale on 18 November, but only in packages.
But Sarah Caplan of Equestrian Escapes, the UK tour operator of WEG, said British fans should buy now through the UK site.
“We have had many people contact us complaining about the WEG site,” she said. “We would advise Brits who are keen to go to buy through us as we can explain what they are getting .” Prices start at £25 and go up to £525.
WEG organisers admitted to H&H there had been some slow running issues with the site but that a hotline had been set up for overseas customers.
And in response to queries about the odd ticketing system the spokesman added: “The package system is a real incentive aid: it enables a wider public the chance to discover the different disciplines and reduce the cost of the unit price of a ticket.”
