New Zealand eventer Jock Paget and Australia's Kevin McNab have been granted a temporary reprieve in their battle against doping allegations.
Paget hasn't competed since October last year, suspended from all competition after his horse Clifton Promise tested positive for a banned substance after winning the Burghley International Horse Trials in September.
McNab rode Clifton Pinot, which tested positive for the same substance at the same event.
An international equestrian federation tribunal ruling, released on Saturday, lifted the provisional suspensions pending the release of their full ruling on the case.
The tribunal says it is satisfied that, on a balance of probabilities, Paget has demonstrated he bore no fault or negligence for the doping rule violation.
Equestrian Sports New Zealand chief executive Jim Ellis says while the decision is encouraging, it was important not to read too much into it.
"Hopefully the full ruling will follow a similar theme, but obviously you can't take absolute certainty from that," he told NZ Newswire.
Ellis said Paget's return to competition could come at the Salperton Horse Trials in Cheshire, England, beginning on June 21.
A return to competition wouldn't be easy after serving a nine-month ban.
"But he's always kept his horses in work and training, so that will make life easier," Ellis said.
"It certainly isn't a simple process to get back into the competition swing, but I'm sure he'll accomplish it."
Earlier this week, Paget faced the tribunal in London to explain how Clifton Promise failed an equine anti-doping test in 2013.
Paget, part of New Zealand's bronze medal-winning three-day team at the London Olympics, submitted a comprehensive dossier of evidence to the hearing, explaining and supporting his claim of no fault and no negligence.
He says evidence shows neither he nor anyone else knew of the presence of reserpine, which can be used as a sedative in horses. However, as the person responsible for Clifton Promise at Burghley, Paget accepts a rule violation occurred.
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