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Six more Russians receive neutral-status permits from International Equestrian Federation

As of April 9, the International Equestrian Federation has approved the neutral status of 112 Russian representatives

MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) in early April granted six more Russian athletes the right to compete as neutrals in international tournaments, according to a document obtained by TASS on Thursday.

The neutral status has been granted to Bashir Khamizov, Varvara Ogneva, Viktoria Pikhozhai, Anna Rogova, Daria Sevalneva and Maria Verkhotina.

As of April 9, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has approved the neutral status of 112 representatives of Russian equestrian sports.

Russia’s ban from Int’l Equestrian Sports

Russian athletes have been barred from FEI-sponsored tournaments since March 2022 after the International Equestrian Federation slapped Russian equestrian sports with sanctions due to the country’s special military operation in Ukraine.

In November 2023, at a meeting of the FEI Bureau, held within the framework of the organization's General Assembly in Mexico, a decision was made that it was necessary to change the measures imposed on Russian athletes, horses, officials, horse owners and accompanying staff.

The FEI headquarters was instructed to work out criteria allowing individual Russian athletes, horses, officials, and so on to resume participation in FEI competitions under a neutral status, and to come up with an application form for this status.

In early November 2025, the FEI ruled to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at international tournaments in team events starting from January 1, 2026. The FEI General Assembly also made a decision to allow Belarus to host federation-sponsored competitions starting in 2026.