Community rallies around courageous teenage showjumper following a devastating grassfire at her Northwood home

By Bianca Hall

Mar 27, 2023

What’s left: Mia Shortt on horse Q next to her fire-damaged show jumps and equipment in one of the burnt out paddocks at her family home.

Mia Shortt is one tough cookie.

After a grassfire ripped through her family’s Northwood property at terrifyingly high speeds on February 17, the talented young rider, 15, did everything she could to save the seven horses on her family’s property.

In the six minutes Mia and her family had from seeing the fire to it reaching their home, Mia went to extraordinary measures to move her seven horses to safety.

She freed the horses so they could escape the fire, then set to work catching them so they could be put on floats and taken to safety, fearlessly running through the smoke and ash.

Sadly, pony Ginger perished due to injuries sustained in the fire.

All Mia's show jumps were destroyed, while one full side boundary of the property and four paddocks were also burnt out.

To make matters worse, a second grassfire threatened the property almost exactly a month later, on March 18.

Mia’s mother Sarah Shortt said the experience was terrifying for the whole family.

“The tanker got here just in time. They said 30 seconds more and me and hubby wouldn’t be here and neither would the house,” she said.

“Mia’s perseverance and resilience, I don’t know another 15-year-old that would do that.”

Devastation: The grassfire ripped through the paddocks at a high speed, leaving little behind.

An avid showjumper, Mia is desperate to get back to doing what she loves and is looking forward to competing at the interschool state championships in April.

So far, Bendigo Timber has donated some fence posts so the family can begin rebuilding some paddocks.

Ms Shortt’s employer, Norwalk Precast Burial Systems, sent workers for a day to help take down the fire-damaged fences.

Goulburn Valley Resources has promised that if the family can raise $10,000 to cover the cost of materials for a riding arena, it will supply the equipment and labour costs.

Ms Shortt’s colleague Dr Kirby White has set up a GoFundMe page to help this happen. So far, the page has raised $3785.

“The problem is (Mia) has nowhere safe to ride because it is so ashy and dusty that both her and the horses are struggling,” Ms Shortt said.

“To know that she's safe, it would mean the world.

“Kellie and Cam from GVR have been so amazing in donating all their time and resources to get Mia a new, safe riding area, we just need to raise $10,000 for the actual material, base and sand.”

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/grass-fire-halts-teenagers-dream-help-mia-shortt