{"id":84596,"date":"2026-02-26T10:16:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T15:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.saltriverwildhorsemanagementgroup.org\/?p=84596"},"modified":"2026-03-13T17:37:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:37:47","slug":"for-immediate-release-federal-court-allows-lawsuit-over-alpine-wild-horse-auctions-to-move-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.saltriverwildhorsemanagementgroup.org\/?p=84596","title":{"rendered":"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Federal Court Allows Lawsuit Over Alpine Wild Horse Auctions to Move Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br \/>\nFederal Court Allows Lawsuit Over Alpine Wild Horse Auctions to Move Forward<br \/>\nPhoenix, AZ \u2014 February 28, 2026<\/p>\n<p>Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG) announced today that a federal judge has denied the government\u2019s motion to dismiss SRWHMG\u2019s lawsuit challenging unlawful practices involving Alpine wild horses removed from the Apache\u2013Sitgreaves National Forest.<\/p>\n<p>In a January 20, 2026 order, U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi ruled that SRWHMG has standing and may proceed with its claims against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service, and their contractor Rail Lazy H Contracting and Consulting LLC.<\/p>\n<p>The Court found that SRWHMG adequately alleged real financial harm and ongoing violations, including harm caused by faulty and inadequate public notice of horse auctions and removals.<br \/>\nSRWHMG alleges that Defendants failed to provide sufficient legally required notice of Alpine wild horse auctions, leaving rescue organizations and the public without sufficient time to organize, fundraise, or participate in online auctions with sign up deadlines.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, SRWHMG alleges it was effectively excluded from the auctions, forcing it to rescue Alpine wild horses later by purchasing them from third parties at inflated prices.<\/p>\n<p>Alleged Self-Dealing in Public Auctions<\/p>\n<p>According to the Second Amended Complaint, Rail Lazy H\u2014the Forest Service contractor responsible for capturing, impounding, transporting, and auctioning Alpine wild horses\u2014engaged in self-dealing during online public auctions.<\/p>\n<p>SRWHMG alleges that Rail Lazy H\u2019s owner, Jackie Hughes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Removed members of the public from live online auctions, at one point excluding all public bidders;<\/li>\n<li>Ejected advocates even after they had already won horses; and<\/li>\n<li>Used that control to acquire the horses herself, eliminating lawful competition.<\/li>\n<li>Removed horses from the forest without ever offering them in any public auction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Court recognized these allegations as sufficient to support claims involving violations of \u201cmaximum return at minimum cost\u201d and full and open competition requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Allegations of Animal Cruelty and Horse Deaths<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit further alleges animal cruelty resulting in injury to Alpine wild horses, including during capture, transport, loading, and auction, as well as violations of federal transport-time limits.<\/p>\n<p>As Judge Tuchi stated, SRWHMG alleges Defendants engaged in \u201canimal cruelty resulting in injury to the horses through their processes in the capture, transport, loading, and auction of the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SRWHMG further alleges that many Alpine wild horses died, some after SRWHMG had already purchased them while still in possession of contractor, that many foals disappeared, and that other horses became severely ill at the auction site and later died.<\/p>\n<p>Why This Matters<\/p>\n<p>Rail Lazy H joined the government\u2019s failed motion to dismiss. The company is owned by Jackie Hughes, who was also seeking authority to manage the Salt River wild horses.<\/p>\n<p>What Happens Next<\/p>\n<p>Defendants must now file answers, and the case will proceed into discovery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis ruling has been long coming, said Simone Netherlands, and now we will offer all of our evidence of how poorly these horses as well as horse advocates are treated by Rail Lazy H and the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Phoenix, AZ \u2014 February 28, 2026\r\nSalt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG) announced today that a federal judge has denied the government\u2019s motion to dismiss SRWHMG\u2019s lawsuit challenging unlawful practices involving Alpine wild horses removed from the Apache\u2013Sitgreaves National Forest.","protected":false},"author":675,"featured_media":22646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","category-updates"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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