Good Morning Everyone!
I am so excited! My dear friend and veterinarian while I was at Barn 55, Dr. Dawn Hunkin, helped us in the ELITE EIGHT portion of our contest. She has always been such an important part of My Team. Dawn and I know each other very well. I also know her 2 children, Jack and Emma. As a matter of fact, and this is TOO CUTE, I was at Barn 55 for quite a long time….and while there, I was able to experience both her pregnancies with her! Such fun!
Here are the names of the ELITE EIGHT contestants Dawn selected:
1. Valerie Franklin…………….Davison, MI
2. Georgia Harper…………….Bellevue, WA
3. Dawn Conrad……………….Cedaredge, CO
4. Louann Cingel………………Union, MO
5. Vicki Vinson…………………Apple Valley, CA
6. Thomas Ronholm…………..Rochester, NY
7. Heidi Kruckenberg…………Vallejo, CA
8. Ann Ransone………………..Walkerton, VA
CONGRATULATIONS to these 8 people who will be moving to the FINAL 4! This is truly getting very exciting!
On another note, thank you for the comments about some of MY JOHN’S other Mobile Me links showing up in a prior Diary. The photos of Santa Anita are lovely. The racing pictures are great…and the holiday photos with John and Dottie’s family (and the adorable Sophie Shirreffs in her Christmas outfit) are fun! However, thank you for letting us know that this link was there. It was to be eliminated prior to the video being put up on my web-page. So sorry!
We have let our tech people know to close this. (I guess you are really getting to know John and Dottie’s family life very well. Blush, Blush!) Again, thank you for letting us know!
We will draw the FINAL 4 next week! Dottie has been working with the tech people to get the VOTING procedures organized so all of you are able to participate in the selection of our ZENYATTA BRONZE CONTEST WINNER!
Enjoy the Arkansas Derby and the Blue Grass Stakes today! It is another fun weekend of RACING…plus, the NBA is starting the early rounds of their play-off games! Oh, how I do LOVE SPORTS!
With love,
Hugs to All~(Happy Birthday, Lara!)
Z
Stella
Dearest Queen Z,
My Derby fever is growing, what about yours? The stakes races are going to be exciting today, Queen, and I’m sure you’ll be cheering your favorites on.
You’re in my thoughts and prayers each day, dear girl. I can’t explain the joy and inspiration you’ve brought to my life—I hope you realize how much you are loved.
Happy weekend!
Much love,
Stel
susan
good luck,everyone! i am so excited for you-i have no problem living vicariously through other people! thank you, team z, for your time and kindness. zenny, have a great weekend. i hope you didn’t get any of the terrible weather that the southeast got yesterday. we were lucky here in our part of tennessee. pretty cool that your doctor is taking part in the contest! you know that saying,”it takes a village”? well, dr. hunkin is part of “the village of zenyatta”! love you!!
judy berube
Dear Z:
Love to you. Don’t know if the weather out there is good, but we hope you have a chance to run and play with your gal pals. Good luck to the remaining eight in the contest. Rooting for Heidi and Vicki. Seems fitting, as Z is a California Girl. Love to all of you. Judy and Russ
Vicki B.
Congrats to all, but especially to Vicki. And condolences to William.
Karen Mitchell
Dear Z and Team, though I didn’t make it into the Elite Eight, it was not the let-down I thought it would be. The contest has been a joy to be part of and incredibly well organized and carefully thought out and so fair. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. And now the excitement continues not just for the Elite Eight, but for all of us on this list who are watching so closely and rooting for our favorites.
@ Dawn Conrad -Huge congratulations on making it to the Elite Eight. As always, your comment above is beautiful, classy, and perfect. If this was a horse race, you would be the prohibitive favorite. I am rooting very hard for you and wish you luck. You are going to be one busy lady responding to all the comments on your behalf. May your fingers hold up and keep strong!
I wish all the Elite Eight very good luck and will be so eager to learn who makes it to the Final Four.
Alex Bowdoin
Congratulations to the 8….Wow, we get to help pick who the winner is…this will be fun and make up for my not making it…I hope we get to read what the finalists wrote. I know what you mean to Racing and to me! You have brought to the public what happens and can happen to horses that can no longer race. That is my passion since owning an off track thoroughbred who was my best friend while I owned him. He was such a good teacher, he tought me and others how to really ride and respect the animal. We love you Zenyatta and Team Z I & II for what you have given back to the Industry….
Peggy
@Dawn so so very happy for you. I just believed you were going to make it. Yea. Congratulations to everyone. Everybody enjoy the races today…Love Ya Zenny
Paula Higgins
Congratulations to all of you!!!! Just wonderful. All I can say is Zenny had a great Vet. because she stayed very healthy for her 5 years with you. Of course, ALL the people at Barn 55 took such great care of her and John and Mario were the most important in watching out for her. As I learn more about horse racing, it is becoming more clear that the trainer WHO HAS HIS HANDS ON THE HORSE, is crucial to that horse’s well being. If I owned a horse, there would be no doubt as to where I would send her-to John Shirreffs.
Vicki B.
And congrats to Heidi, with your name now spelled correctly!
Kathryn Cogswell
Eagle Cam followers: a friend just e`mailed how moving it was for her watching the last few hours of the parent sitting out a cold, dreary, wet night on that nest you all mention. Her link to me doesn`t click, but if you`ve got it, I hear the latest is wonderful. Sorry unable to forward her link.
Pam Zacek,
Congratulations to those winners for today, and thanks again for keeping us informed , Im hoping I can get one of those races, I always, watch at least one, and the woodmemoial before the Derby, can’t seem to get the rest, like I used to, now that The Queen Got me to like the whole thing again, or I should say her trainer, so things would stay, good, well hope Z you have a great day, and folic in the fields , and the winners for this, one, i hope you get the final four.
Debbie
hi Z! congrats to the elite eight! I’m looking forward to watching the races today and will be thinking of YOU beautiful girl!!! love you xoxoxo
Kim Noble
Thank you Dr. Hunkin for taking care of our Zenny!
Lynette Lucas
Congrats to all the winners!!! Love all the video’s you have posted they are great!! Love you Zenny!!! Hugs and Kisses from Roswell,NM!!!
Jeanie
OK, Vicki and Heidi, let’s bring this bronze beauty home to CA where it belongs! Go CA!!!!
Astrid
Congratulations to the Elite Eight and good luck for the next draw! It’s getting close now and what fun for us to participate in voting! Do the rest of us get consolation prices, like a hair of you, Zenny? :) You’d be going bald – you just have too many fans who love you!! Have a wonderful day with your pals!
Carol
Zenyatta is a gift for each and everyone of us. As Sue said, we are so fortunate that Team Zenyatta provides us with this website and gives us a place to share our feelings about this once-in-a-time horse. Zenyatta is a a wonderful horse surrounded by wonderful people (owners, trainer, racing manager, jockey and all her friends at Barn 55 and at Lanes End) and everyone else she has given such joy.
Congratulations and best of luck to the Elite Eight! (I am cheering for all of you but especially for Heidi who I know because of Zenyatta.)
Robyn Mullhausen
Zenny, thanks for all the updates. I see the names in the running are from all over the country. You are so special. Enjoy the games.
Barb France
Wow, congrats to the Elite 8…this is so exciting. I wish all of them GOOD LUCK!!
Charlotte A. Farmer
Congratulations to the lucky eight. For the rest of us we will enjoy vicariously through each of you. To those who are sad and hope that someday they can acquire Zenyatta’s statue don’t give up on that dream. To Team Zenyatta thank you for taking such good care of an incredible lady. But knowing John Sheriffs background i.e. his mentor Henry Freitas, I am sure John would have done it no other way–giving the best care he can to that which has been put in his charge.
I love you Zenyatta and look forward to next weeks drawing. Again as you always say, “Hooves crossed.”
KIMBERLY
Good luck everyone!!!! It’s getting so close now. Thanks again Z and Dottie. We ALL truly appreciate it!!!
ARPfan
Congratulations to the final 8! How exciting we might get to help pick the winner!
sug
Congratulations to the 8 finalists. Thank you for making this possible for your fans. We love you Zenny.
MK
Life is good… Best wishes to the Elite 8 et al.
kealy
Congrats to the 8 who made it to the next level! Whoever ends up as the recipient of this breath-taking sculpture will cherish it forever I am sure! On a side note, the person who is suggesting that we be given even MORE video, etc. of Z by way of a “Marestare” cam or whatever, can you not just be appreciative for what has so graciously been shared with us for all of these months? Seems some are just never satisfied for what they are given, always wanting more more more. My heartfelt thanks to the entire Z Team for taking the time out of their obviously busy schedules to share with us what they do. They did not have to do this, they opted to do this for all of us – THANK YOU!!!!!
suew
CONGRATS to those lucky eight who are still in the running for the bronze. If I was one of you I would be squealing at the top of my lungs and running around the room. This contest has been such fun…thanks Team Z for allowing us the opportunity to be part of it. I wish each of you could win…having gone so far. But just knowing someone who loves our Zenny is going to have her likeness is just awesome. Yes, Zenny…lots of sports this weekend to enjoy!
tony
WOW! We’re getting down to the wire with our contest. It’s been great to follow it so far…a sincere congratulations to those who have made it so far.
To all of Team Zenyatta…you really are unique. To think we can still follow our Zen after her well earned retirement is unbelievable and appreciated.
tony and sue
Thanks, Dawn, for taking such good care of Zennyduring her stay at Barn 55. And a big shout-out to the elite 8.
susan
zenyatta- i can’t believe i forgot to tell you in my other post that today is our (horse) boy’s birthday! he is 27 today and we have had him for 21 years. he is the biggest character i have ever known- i think you would like him! our only problem is trying to think of something to do for him that we don’t already do on a daily basis. i’ll probably go get him an asian pear-he loves those. have you ever tried one? well, i better go-
Joan
I wish you could all 8 win. Whoever wins, please post a pic with yourself and the bronze for the rest of us to enjoy or at least a script about it once you receive it. It kinda belongs to us all, we all love her.
Love ya Z.