European Union Sanctions against Russia have left two German-trained prize racehorses unable to compete because their owner, Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov, is on the EU's blacklist, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Kadyrov, a firm ally of President Vladimir Putin, was sanctioned in July for supporting Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in late-March. The measures freeze Kadyrov's assets in the EU and ban him from traveling there.
With regard to the racehorses, Zazou and Dashing home — which according to the report are household names in the horse racing community — the asset freeze prevents Kadyrov from paying to feed, train and house the horses, the WSJ said. These expenses have fallen on the horses' trainer, German resident Waldemar Hickst.
Moreover, prize money recently won by the horses cannot be collected because of the sanctions.
The seven-year old Zazou has won over $1.3 million dollars during its career, and since July Zazou and the two-year old Dashing Home have competed in several German competitions, raking in tens of thousands of euros in winnings, the report said.
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