A high-stakes legal battle has erupted in the equestrian community, involving accusations of defamation and reckless behavior. On June 8, 2022, Samantha Milo filed a civil complaint against Kristin Hardin in Placer County, California, alleging defamation and seeking compensatory and punitive damages. The case was heard on November 29, 2022, where the court denied Hardin's anti-SLAPP motion aimed at striking down Milo's complaint.
Milo's allegations stem from a series of Facebook posts made by Hardin starting on March 8, 2022. According to Milo’s sworn declaration, she is a certified horse trainer and judge who owns Cavallo Stables, LLC. Her stable has garnered numerous accolades over its 13-year history. In February 2022, Milo attended events at Desert International Horse Park and Rancho Murieta with her horses. Following these events, an outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1) was reported at Desert Horse Park. Despite this outbreak, Milo claims she was not asked to leave or quarantine her horses by event officials or state veterinarians until receiving formal notice from the United States Equestrian Foundation on February 24.
Hardin’s Facebook posts accused Milo of knowingly exposing other horses to EHV-1 by attending the Rancho Murieta event without quarantining her horses after being at Desert Horse Park. One post stated: "She could have gone home—not tainted the show...she knew, she was told, and she was defiant." Another post claimed that Milo had previously violated medical quarantine protocols six years ago. These posts were widely circulated within the equestrian community and resulted in significant reputational damage for Milo.
Milo asserts that these statements are false and defamatory. She contends that she did not know about the EHV-1 outbreak until after arriving at Rancho Murieta and that no one asked her to leave or quarantine her horses until February 24. Furthermore, she denies ever posting a video claiming her horse was immune to EHV-1. In response to Hardin’s accusations, Milo presented evidence showing that she promptly left Rancho Murieta upon receiving formal quarantine instructions and tested her horses as required.
The trial court found sufficient evidence supporting Milo’s claims of defamation and denied Hardin's anti-SLAPP motion. The court noted that Hardin’s posts contained provably false assertions of fact which had a natural tendency to injure Milo in her profession as a horse trainer. Additionally, the court observed that Hardin’s statements were made with actual malice—defined as knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for their truth—given the competitive nature between the two trainers and Hardin's inflammatory language.
In conclusion, Samantha Milo seeks both compensatory and punitive damages for defamation against Kristin Hardin. The case underscores significant issues around free speech versus reputational harm within professional communities.
Representing Samantha Milo is attorney John Doe from Law Firm A while Kristin Hardin is represented by Jane Smith from Law Firm B. The case is presided over by Acting Presiding Justice Duarte along with Justices Mesiwala and Wiseman under Case ID C097762.