When Steven Whitaker, a renowned rider from the United Kingdom, brought his two sons to compete in the FEI World Cup Jumping Show in Beijing last May, he could race only on an unfamiliar local horse due to quarantine obstacles.

Thanks to a recent decision by the European Commission, riders like the Whitakers will now be able to bring their own horses to China for competitions.

Citing improved quarantine conditions in China, the European Commission approved an agreement on Friday to allow its horses to race in the Global Champions Tour's Shanghai leg in June and return to Europe afterward.