IN a tale of rags to riches, a family that rescued a neglected and malnourished horse from an abusive animal sanctuary discovered they have backed a winner.

Penny Richardson, 35, and husband Neil, 34, intended to buy a pony for their daughter Georgina in May 2001, but they were so appalled at conditions in the sanctuary they went to at Warfield in Berkshire, they brought four.

When the couple returned home to New Zealand, near Goatacre, they called the vet who said the animals were depressed, malnourished, lethargic and maltreated, and were in such a miserable state two had to be put down.

But five-year-old Mr Tee, one of the two cobs who survived, has seen a dramatic reversal in fortune.

Two months ago Mrs Richardson sent Mr Tee, called 'Rich Tea' in reference to her owners' surname, to be trained at a stables near Shrivenham.

And three weeks ago the horse, whose trainer Sue Morris wants to give him the show name of From Rags To Riches, came first in a dressage competition at Fern Farm, in Broughton, beating 25 other entrants in his class.

Mrs Richardson, who is learning to ride under the tuition of Miss Morris, said: "Loads of people told me I should get rid of him, but he has proved them all wrong and I'm so proud of him.

"Everyone said he's nothing, but I kept him on and now look at him. That nothing has turned into something really special.

"I was a bit nervous at the competition, but he looked like he'd been doing it all his life. Everyone said how wonderful he was and I kept saying 'he's mine'."

Dressage is about the horse's obedience, rhythms and accuracy in the competition arena.

Miss Morris said she was amazed at Mr Tee's rapid progress and predicted a bright future for the horse even tipping him for a future appearance in the riding cob class at the Wembley Horse Show, one of the biggest horse events of the year.

"There is something quite special about this horse," she said. "The majority of horses take a long time to get everything together, but he's found it all very easy.

"We have only had him a couple of months and we've entered him in a few competitions and he's been placed and won.

"At the competition he won everyone wanted to buy him. This cob is going to be good. I have ridden horses all my life, including thoroughbreds, but this cob is going to be exceptional with a little luck on his side."

Mr and Mrs Richardson, who have four children, informed the RSPCA about conditions at the sanctuary, where they also rescued a pair of ducks, two goats, Yorkshire Terriers and two piglets.

The couple had to spend nearly £1,000 on vet's bills to nurse the poorly animals back to health.

The charity took up the case and prosecuted owners of the sanctuary, Janice Stephens and Frank Halliday.

In court the couple said they had been struggling financially and could not afford to pay the vet's bills. The owners were banned from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay a fine of £3,000 by magistrates in Bracknell.

Mr Tee, nicknamed Tea Cake or Fatboy by Mrs Richardson, will stay in Shrivenham until the autumn when he will return to Mrs Richardson's home.

Miss Morris said she hopes to step him up a class and start the 15-hand horse jumping soon.