Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FEI has decided to remove all international tournaments in Russia and Belarus from the FEI calendar. The federation thus follows the statement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of February 25, 2022, in which international sports federations are urged to postpone or cancel their sporting events in the two countries. The German Equestrian Federation (FN) welcomes the decisions of the FEI and will not issue any guest licenses for riders from Russia and Belarus itself.
„Our thoughts are with all the people in Ukraine who are affected by the war. We condemn the Russian attack in the strongest possible terms and stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian equestrian community. We have contacted the National Federation of Ukraine through the European Equestrian Federation and offered assistance. We fully support the measures decided by the FEI,“ said FN President Hans-Joachim Erbel.
Beyond the cancellation of equestrian events in Russia and Belarus, the FEI is also considering the IOC’s recommendation to exclude all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international equestrian events. The FEI will continue to monitor the situation and will announce the decision in the coming days. The FN would also support a possible exclusion.
The European Equestrian Federation (EEF) already published a statement and a letter to the President of the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation, Andriy Milovanov, last weekend: www.euroequestrian.eu/media/news/eef-statement-on-ukraine
Anyone who wants to help the people in Ukraine can, for example, donate to the action alliance Katastrophenhilfe: www.aktionsbuendnis-katastrophenhilfe.de/
The international aid organization Equiwent/Schmiede ohne Grenzen is also helping animals in need on the ground in Ukraine: www.equiwent.org/ukraine