WHEN RACING’S P.R. WORLD STARTS EATING ITSELF
The letter itself has not been made public.
However, based on Leonard’s own published rebuttal, it is clear that the correspondence alleges serious wrongdoing on her part and on the part of a colleague — allegations she describes as false, damaging, and deeply offensive.
Leonard states that the claims relate to funding, integrity, and the operation of racing-related initiatives, and she has categorically denied any misuse of funds or personal gain.
In other words, while the industry has not released the document, Leonard’s response makes one thing obvious:
racing’s most powerful administrator is accusing one of racing’s own PR operators of misconduct.
And that, in itself, says a great deal about how this industry works.
WHAT THIS TELLS US – FOR NOW
Until then, we’re not speculating about legal details that haven’t been disclosed.
But even at this early stage, one thing is already clear: when the horse racing industry is challenged — even from within its own professional and PR class — its instinct is not transparency, but control.
A system that has no shortage of money for promotion, branding, and legal correspondence somehow always claims scarcity when it comes to the lifelong welfare of horses.
And when disputes arise, they don’t centre on animals, outcomes, or accountability — they centre on funding, reputation, and who gets to shape the story.
That alone tells us more about the priorities of this industry than any glossy campaign ever could.
THE MONEY RAISED WAS NEVER FOR THE HORSES
It’s not about slaughter.
It’s not about wastage.
And it certainly isn’t about protecting horses.
It’s about money, messaging, and control — which, frankly, tells you almost everything you need to know about the modern horse racing industry.
LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT WHO IS WHO
She is not an animal welfare advocate.
She is not anti-racing.
Leonard owns a public relations firm that, for years, has worked inside the racing ecosystem, successfully securing funding for pro-racing initiatives, promotional campaigns, and industry-facing programs designed to make racing look more palatable to the public.
She is a business woman – defending racing for the money it brings her.
And she’s been good at it.
That matters.
Because when someone who has helped sell racing to the public ends up in a legal stoush with one of racing’s most powerful figures, it exposes something uncomfortable:
even racing’s own messengers are expendable.
WHAT THE DISPUTE ACTUALLY TELLS US – SO FAR…
Based on Leonard’s public rebuttal, the dispute centres on funding, integrity, and reputational claims — not horses.
There is no disagreement here about:
how many horses are injured,
how many are discarded,
where they go when they’re no longer profitable.
Instead, the argument is about who controlled initiatives, who benefited, and who gets to shape the narrative.
Which is revealing.
It’s too bad the industry is once again choosing optics over substance.
THE DEEP POCKETS CHALLENGE
It is:
government-subsidised,
politically protected,
and extraordinarily well funded.
There is always money for:
glossy advertising campaigns,
“community engagement” initiatives,
feel-good promotions,
crisis management,
and legal fees.
Always.
What there is never enough money for, apparently, is:
lifelong care for discarded horses,
independent welfare oversight,
transparent tracking of where horses end up,
or meaningful accountability when things go wrong.
That’s not an accident.
That’s a business model.
IMAGE FIRST – HORSES LAST
Protect reputations
Control messaging
Suppress dissent
Maybe talk about horses later
The industry has spent decades pouring money into marketing campaigns about “love,” “care,” and “aftercare” — while thousands of horses quietly disappear into kill pens, knackeries, or export pipelines.
Now, as public trust erodes and scrutiny intensifies, the mask is slipping.
And instead of reform?
LEGAL LETTERS?
This dispute reminds a core truth anti-racing advocates have been pointing out for years:
Racing doesn’t invest in horses.
It invests in storytelling.
PR firms are funded.
Campaigns are funded.
Initiatives that soften public perception are funded.
Meanwhile, the horses that don’t make it — the injured, the slow, the inconvenient — quietly disappear from the conversation.
So when a PR professional who has helped secure pro-racing funding finds herself on the receiving end of legal threats, it’s not shocking.
It’s just racing being racing.
WHERE WE STAND
Meet Our Horse Meat exists because no one with industry funding will tell the whole story.
We don’t receive:
racing money,
government subsidies,
sponsorships tied to silence,
or funding contingent on “positive messaging.”
We rely on public donations, because independence is the only way to speak honestly about:
slaughter pipelines,
wastage,
racing’s revolving door of expendable horses,
and the reality behind the PR gloss.
Racing has millions to protect its image.
We have people who care enough to question it.
YOUR SUPPORT matters.
IF YOU CARE ABOUT HORSES – SPEAK UP
Help us raise awareness.
Boycott horse racing – including saying #nuptothecup.
Support our sanctuaries – they are filled with off the track horses.
What do YOU think?
Join the conversation on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/@NoAussieHorseSlaughter
#MOHM THREATENED?
We’ve been threatened by those in the horse racing industry and those who benefit from horse slaughter more times than we can count.
But we are not going away.
We are going to persist until horse slaughter no longer exists for any purpose within Australia -- and until the horse racing industry makes drastic changes.
We are going to continue our hands-on work to offer lifelong sanctuary to as many horses as possible. We generally have 20 at just one of our locations - at any given time.
We have the acreage to take on more horses as financial support allows.
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