Rescue donkeys ride high

5:43pm Tuesday 19th August 2008

It's not only Team GB coming home with medals - six donkeys from Brightwell-cum-Sotwell have also swept the board.

And one of them, Baron, was crowned British Supreme Champion at the Donkey Breed Society All Championship Show in Staffordshire at the weekend.

Only three years ago he was collapsing under the weight of children riding him at a horse fair, before being rescued and taken to the Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary.

Other winning donkeys at the sanctuary include Empress, who scooped First Foal and British Champion Foal awards, and her mother, Countess, who became British Reserve Supreme Champion.

Duchess is British Reserve Filly Champion and Bramble is the British Champion Gelding.

Donkey sanctuary owner John McLaren said: "All these are rescue animals which have had hard lives and they've come out on top."