After the Longwood fire: rebuilding farms, horses and hope

Cover image courtesy of Wandong Fire Brigade

The Longwood Fire burned through more than 132,000 hectares and destroyed over 250 buildings in January. One human life was lost, Lindsay Park lost seven horses, and stock losses across the region’s farmland were estimated at more than $20 million, with up to 40,000 sheep and cattle dying in the blaze.

From fireground to Chairman’s Sale record

At Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, the evidence of recovery is not only in repaired fences and rebuilt accommodation. It is also in the sale ring.

In 2025, Bella Nipotina’s breeder and part-owner Michael Christian bought out his fellow owners in the multiple Group 1-winning mare for a then-record $4.2 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale. Twelve months later, another Longwood-bred and raised horse went through the same ring and raised the bar again.

Chayan, the G2 Reisling Stakes winner by I Am Invincible, was sold to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $5.6 million.

For Christian, it was more than a commercial result. It was a pointed reminder of what had survived.

“The farm had a big night last Thursday at the Chairman’s sale. We bred and raised and sold a yearling that was bought by Annabel Neasham, and was on-sold on Thursday as a 2-year-old, so only a year on, at the Chairman’s Sale for $5.6 million,” said Christian.

“It’s the second year in a row that we've been able to do that because Bella Nipotina was sold the previous year for a then record of $4.2 million and now Chayan has eclipsed that with a price of $5.6 million. It’s a huge kudos to the farm that both those horses were able to grow up on our farm and be able to achieve that. It’s quite amazing.”

On the fire recovery, it was the staff and horses who matter most to Christian.

“The most important thing is that all our staff were able to get through that traumatic time and all our horses were okay. We evacuated all our horses, and it was just a stressful time for everyone, but now we're in the recovery mode. We were able to get the horses back within four weeks on the fire, so in terms of the farm, we are operating as normal.

“We've repaired most of our fencing, which is great. And although having said that, we were a lot luckier than others in that we didn't lose all our fencing to start with. We’ve made plans to rebuild one of our very good barns which was lost in the fire. We had five units of staff accommodation that were badly impacted by the fire and we're in the process of repairing them.

“Fortunately, even though we lost one of our good barns, we’ve got a lot of capacity for boxes, so we're just carrying on carrying on as usual. Coming into the season, we have some capacity to take on outside mares, so if anyone is looking to have their mare and foal share the same land as Bella Nipotina and that raised Chayan, then give me a call.”

When asked about making improvements out of the disaster, Christian was circumspect.

“Unfortunately we were under insured which is not ideal, but we are looking to change a few things and structure things a bit differently in terms of how we are designing our new barn.

“I’d rather it had not happened but now we can explore a couple of options. It’s a time to take the opportunity to redesign and focus on having something bigger and better.”

Planning changed the outcome

If Longwood’s recovery has been marked by sale-ring success, Lindsay Park’s has been defined by preparation.

Colin Hayes’ old line - “the future belongs to those who plan for it” - is often quoted around Lindsay Park. In January, it became less a philosophy than a fire plan.

When the Longwood Fire bore down on the Euroa property on a 40-degree day, the team moved 320 horses from paddocks into irrigated safe zones. The Criterion barn was destroyed. Co-trainer Ben Hayes’ house was lost. Fencing, paddocks and infrastructure burned.

Seven horses died.

But the main barns, tracks and training infrastructure were saved - not by luck, but because of lessons learned from a previous fire.

“Looking out my window, it’s all green. The greening is astonishing, the landscape has repaired itself incredibly fast which is the way the Australian landscape works but to think that it was all black the day after the fire is incredible,” Lindsay Park’s Brand Manager Mel Gamble said.

“I was here on that 40-something degree day and we put all the fire preparation into play and it all worked. All the things that could be done were done, but then it all changed in that astonishing day.”

The fire that ripped through Lindsay Park’s Euroa farm destroyed the Criterion barn, burned down co-trainer Ben Hayes’ house and everything bar the irrigated training tracks and barns were destroyed.

During that dreadful Friday when the Longwood Fire bore down on Lindsay Park, the staff moved 320 horses from the pastures into their irrigated safe zone, a massive effort. Seven horses died in the fire, testament to both the severity of the fire and the team effort to save as many horses as possible.

“Things are going as smoothly as can be. We were lucky enough to have a very reasonable insurance policy in place with Howdens, and they've been fantastic and really supportive,” said General Manager Sophie Steel.

“We burnt down on the Friday night. We spent the next morning collecting all the horses and all were accounted for, albeit the seven who passed away, and then through Troy Corsten's group that was set up to support the effort, they coordinated truck after truck to roll in and pick up the horses and evacuate them to Inglis.

“All our spellers are still at Nook Farm (formerly Dorrington Farm) and we’re busy reinstating pastures and re-fencing so we can get those horses back here.

“Everything that burnt down has recommenced building. The Criterion barn that burnt down is underway with a new design with a few upgrades. We're making it more efficient. Ben and Grace's new house is underway, and the fencing project has recommenced. Part of why it is going so smoothly is because Nick Petrie from Petrie Equine Construction built the whole farm initially, fenced it, then built it again the first time it burned down and now he’s building it again.

“Along with Lachie Thomas and Eamon Kearns, our property managers, they're just really efficient, hard-working people, and they're really diligent. They're sort of taking on the project management role of the rebuild and they're doing an amazing job.”

The past has provided a plan for the future at Lindsay Park, and much of the way their infrastructure could be saved was thanks to lessons learned from a fire in the past.

“What we learned from the first fire here, about ten years ago, was irrigation. Mum and Dad implemented key things that really protected the key infrastructure of the farm, so the horses, all the main stables and all the tracks were saved this time.

“What they learned from the first fire, we were able to implement in the second fire, and it really saved our key infrastructure, noting that this fire was far more severe, and had we not been set up that way, it probably would have been far more detrimental. We were able to resume track work on the Monday after we burnt down on the Friday.

“The future belongs to those who plan for it is the Colin Hayes way, so when Mum and Dad went through the first fire, they thought we need a generator here and the irrigation set up there and that sort of thing and we had the CFA protecting us, just incredible.

“It's going to look like a garden of Eden. We've had a real focus on pasture post-fire to make sure that they come back perfect and strong.

“It has been a very stressful process, albeit we're coming through the other side. The Criterion was well designed and functional, but we've managed to redesign it in a way that's perfect and functional for our business. Those sorts of opportunities have been seized.

“Also, we have sold our 40-year-old fire truck that didn't really help us and we have a really good water truck that's automatic that we can all drive now. We’ve made drastic improvements to our firefighting equipment and have little trailer units now that anyone can drive. Our role in any future fire isn’t to fight the fire, it’s to put out spot fires after the CFA have protected us. We're not firefighters and we don't pretend to be.”

The community aspects of the initial fire event were massive with Inglis taking in nearly 800 horses evacuated from across the region to their Oaklands complex.

“Because of the last fire, we did understand our role, and we played it well. If you plan for it and you’re the best organised, then the worst-case scenario is unlikely,” said Steel.

“The size of the fire was markedly different this time. The whole property burnt down, whereas just the west side, a few paddocks and fences went down last time, and we didn't lose any infrastructure, whereas this time we lost key infrastructure and it went through the whole farm.

“It was still playing out in those first couple of weeks, how everyone and our industry came together as a community and, your opponents become your allies in a way.”

Larneuk Stud’s rebuild is complete

At Larneuk Stud, home to Lauda Sion (Jpn), Griff, Impending, and Wandjina, the rebuild finished with a sense of humour because, by then, there was not much else to do.

After losing 60 per cent of its pastures and six and a half kilometres of fencing, Neville Murdoch and his team finally put in the last new post this week.

It hit a water pipe.

“Water was coming out higher than the tractor,” Murdoch said.

“Murphy's law, is it not?”

“We all laughed our heads off because I was going to do a photo of the last one and then when the post went in, water was coming out higher than the tractor!

“We’ve come good now. We sewed the whole farm down, we’ve sprayed it out and sown all new grass and it’s come up lovely. We’ve been fortunate to have a bit of rain. It's been amazing. It really has been a long process.”

The Longwood fire officially began on January 7 and was at its worst through to January 12, but wasn’t officially declared under control until January 21, 2026.

“Between all that, we’ve foaled down 48 foals and we've done all the fencing, all the wires, all the gateways and we're literally completed at about 7.45 yesterday morning, when we fixed the pipe.”

When asked if Murdoch took advantage of the fire to improve the layout of the farm, the answer was that it wasn’t necessary.

“We changed a couple of things around, moved some water troughs but basically it is the same structure. We made some improvements, making some lanes a bit wider, but this place has worked well for a long time for us, so why change.”

Heading into the breeding season, Larneuk Farm are positive about the future.

“I am, but I'm different to a lot of other farms. We'll have the four stallions this year and I've got a couple of very, very good clients that'll support them. It'll be tough, don't get me wrong, but we'll be okay. But there's still people out there to breed to race, and if you look at my stallions, they're well priced. They’re good value and they throw winners. There’s a market for them because not everyone can afford those $20,000 and more service fees.

“We stay positive and keep our heads above water and we keep on going.”

Mental health matters long term

The physical rebuild is visible: new fences go up, paddocks turn green, barns are redesigned, horses come home.

The human rebuild is quieter.

At Lindsay Park, Gamble said the mental health impact remains an ongoing focus. In the immediate aftermath of a fire, adrenaline can carry people. Six months later, the weight of it can arrive in other ways.

That may be the truer measure of recovery across Longwood. Not only that the farms are operating again, or that foals have been born, or that yearlings have gone on to sell for millions. But that the people who lived through it are still being looked after.

Because the Longwood Fire did not just burn paddocks and buildings. It tested systems, communities and people.

“Some of our staff lost their homes and were traumatised by having to protect their properties,” said Gamble. “There’s a big spectrum of experience between all the staff who sail here at Lindsay Park. I’d say it’s been a multi-dimensional impact.”

“The community and the way people pull together is amazing, there’s a lot of positive in it. Yes, there’s a shared trauma but we’ve also seen a real understanding between the people who’ve gone through it. It’s important to remember, to look back, and make sure everyone is okay.”