Good Morning Everyone!
I’M BACK!
It is a wonderful Wednesday morning in Kentucky! All is terrific…but a bit wet. We have had a substantial amount of rain lately in Lexington and I understand Louisville has had their share as well. With all of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks preparations going on in that city now, the rain has even caused some changes in the training schedules for several of the horses. It is supposed to lighten up soon….so HOOVES CROSSED. Dottie did tease me and say that it is sunny and pretty in California right now.
I truly want to thank ALL OF YOU who participated in the contest by either mailing in an entry and / or voting for one of the four contestants. All of the cards were beautifully done and very sweet and emotional to read. As stated in an earlier Diary, right before leaving for the barn this morning, John was going to check his computer at 5 a.m. CA TIME and finalize the WINNER. He did just that!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ZENYATTA BRONZE WINNER…..DAWN CONRAD!
Wow, Dawn! You really recapped so much of my life. Thank you for all of your thoughtfulness and kind words. I AM SO HAPPY for you! I can’t wait to hear where you place ‘ME’…once I’m settled in at your home in Cedaredge, Colorado.
This contest has been so MUCH FUN! What has been especially meaningful to me is how much I have meant to so many of you. I did realize people really enjoyed watching me DANCE, RACE and TRAIN, however, I did not get the full impact of what my efforts and achievements symbolized to so many of my friends until this contest. I am deeply, deeply touched.
May all of you have a very special day! I know you have really made mine a day to remember.
Again…YEAH, DAWN!
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Jill Mabry
Congratulations Dawn :)
We love you Zenyatta!!
Alexandra Bowdoin
Congratulations Dawn! Enjoy the Bronze Statue…I sobbed when I read what you wrote, we all feel the same about Z! She is now happy running in her paddock with her gal pals and hopefully with a foal at her side in the future! Z, I hope you are rolling in mud puddles…my thoroughbred certainly did right before horse shows!! It made him very happy….
Mike
Way to go Dawn! I thought they all were terrific and touched the spirit of Zenny, all are winners, but alas only one prize, Thanks to all of the good sports.
Hernan Tovar
My dear Zenyatta, good to hear you are happy and safe!! What happen with Bernie? Please, Mike tell me how many times the you folded the winner’s post card!- Well… Congrast to the winner!!!
Ingrid.
Jean in VA.
Congratulations to Dawn.
We all love you Zenyatta.
Pat Beck
Miss you, Z! Love you always.
Joanna
Big congrats to Ms.Conrad!
So glad to hear from you, Z, and your ‘ghost writers’. I’m sure they’re up to their eyeballs in race doings to say nothing of all the rain in KY. Sure wish they could pipe some it down to us her in the hill country of Texas!
Nancy Bickford
Yes, Zen, we all want to know what about your breeding plans to Bernardini? We are so anxious to hear if you are going to be a momma next year!
Mike
by the way, good to know we gave something back, that’s the real prize.
Lauren
Dear Zenny – I have missed you so much this past week. I hope that you are doing well and enduring the bad weather in Kentucky. Congratulations to Dawn. She did write a beautiful tribute to you. I can’t wait to hear more about you and what you have been doing. Hooves crossed for the Lakers. Love you beautiful girl. xoxo
Erika
Congrats Dawn!! What you wrote was just beautiful!!
As for Zenyatta heading back to Bernadini, they are keeping it quiet this time until the 45 day point has come and gone without any problems. I read that either on DRF or Bloodhorse.
Sue
Congratulations Dawn!!!! Your words were as beautiful as the horse you meant to honor! Enjoy your bronze Zenyatta!!!
Irene Caty
Hi Zenny, congradulations to Dawn, i did vote for her. Glad to know all is good with you. I was nervous about not hearing from you due to th bad weather out there. We in CA. are looking at 90 degrees today, I like it. My big question for you is what ever happened or not with your date with Bernardini? Did that already happen or what? Will the breeding be able to be repeated or will it have to wait until next year? I am in complete wonderment as to where you stand with that and I know others are wondering also. I hope you can clue us in soon, Thanks. We had a good Easter and hope you had some extra goodies yourself. Glad to hear from you again, keep in touch. Love you Zenyatta.
Christine B.
Congratulations Dawn on a well deserved win!! Your wonderful sentiment made me tear up and expressed much of how I personally feel about Zenyatta too. I’m sure you will give the staute a fabulous home!! :) Thanks to all of Team Z for such a fun contest!!
Marilu V
Congratulations to Dawn!
My sincere thanks to Dottie and and the entire Z family for this contest. It gave us a chance to tell Zenyatta and her family how much she means to us!
Zenny, praying for good weather for you and all the horses that are preparing for the Derby!. Hugs, Marilu
Astrid
Congratulations Dawn!! I do hope you tell us where you place the mini-Zenny! Will you give tours? :)
To the other 3 contestants, I loved your posts as well! Thank you Teamz Z for your generosity and hard work putting this contest together!
@ Zenny, I am glad you are well and hope you get to sunbathe soon! ♥
Dmama
Congrats to the winner….. that contest was awesome. Would love to see a pct of you, Z in the Kentucky Spring :-)
Debbie
hi Z! wow how exciting for Dawn- congratulations to her!!! Beautiful Z been thinking of you continuously, hoping you’re in foal again and everything’s going perfectly!!! love you so much xoxoxo
Barbara C
Congratulations Dawn, what a wonderful expression of your love for Zenyatta, the way you summarized her life until now was just beautiful. Miss Z you are wonderful and we all love you. I pray one day I will finally get to meet you. May God bless your offsprings.
Stephanie Quilichini
Congrats to Dawn-I hope you guys post a picture of her with her Prize!!
Diana.A
Congratulations Dawn! so happy for you.
Love you girl!
Janie
Congratulations to Dawn! And Zenyatta, I’ve been concerned about you with all that wild weather in your neck of the woods, but I’m glad to hear things should be clearing up soon, at least for the Derby. There is another webcam of three baby eagles in Iowa and I’ll try to download the website here: http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles#utm_campaigne=synclickback&source=http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/decorah_eagle_xcel.html&medium=3064708
If it doesn’t work as a link, it could be cut and pasted – they are adorable and let’s pray that they and their mommy and daddy stay safe.
Christine in VA
MISSED YOU MISSED YOU MISSED YOU ZEN
Congrats to Dawn.
Good news on the eagle watch. After moms death the eaglets were removed from the nest and are now at the wild Life Center in Virginia and will be cared for and raised to BE SET FREE IN THE WILD.Dad tried but three babies to one dad is not good odds.
I am so glad you are OK Zen. I know you would be thinking of your fellow creations on this planet. You are so loved by your owners and those who work with you. I think this above all has touched me.
You have brought new meaning to the human animal connection and how we MUST protect our planet and respect all life on it.
Love ya Zen
Theresa
I think of you every day, Zenyatta and hope all is well.
Mary Stanford
Great to hear from you Z….and nice to see the photo of Mike and his smiling face….and congrats to Dawn…I know she is one happy person right now. Hugs to you Z…..hope the rain lightens up and you can get out more with your friends. It has been raining here today in Virginia …but it is April and we need the rain. But I sure hope it does not rain on Derby Day…I hate to see the horses have to put up with that mud …and I worry someone will get hurt. That makes me think how wonderful it was that you never got hurt Z when racing…what a blessing for such a sweet horse.
Julie Anderson
Congratulations to Dawn! It is good to have you back Zenyatta…I have missed your daily posts. Love you mucho!!!
Kimberly Potter
Yeah Dawn! Congratulations on your most prized possession!.. Thank you for speaking words from my heart. :) All 4 finalists did a fantastic job!
Thank you ZENYATTA & Dottie for being YOU! I love you with all my heart!
Your #1 fan in Montana!
Karen Mitchell
Dear Zenyatta, it is so good to hear from you after a quiet week and to know that you are fine. I hadn’t realized how much we count on regular diary posts from you to know how and what you are doing. And again, special thanks to Dottie for all the work and time she puts in to allow us to share your life.
And to Dawn, my warmest and happiest congratulations on your winning the beautiful bronze. All four entries, and I’m sure most all the many entries, were beautiful and expressed how we feel about Zenyatta; yours was a tour de force, however, and I couldn’t be happier for you. When it is put in a place of honor in your home, perhaps you could take a picture and post it on Z’s Facebook page for all of us to see.
Z, life is not the same since you are no longer racing, but still you are such a strong and abiding presence in my life and I am forever grateful for that.
Mike
Thanks Janie. I just saw the mother eagle put her wing around the eaglet because it was cold. So much that we are privledged to acquire with Zenyatta’s site here. AND we are allowed the freedom of speech, and sharing without the dictatorship of that kind of moderation. Nice to watch, but who would want to ‘chat’ as they call it under their “regime.” Kudos to this website! We are more appreciated than we realize. Let’s be grateful.
Amanda Gilliland
Congratulations to Dawn!!! I am so thrilled for you and happy for you to recieve the perfectly captured dance step of Zenyatta in a beautiful Nina’s Statue. Congratulations to the other 3 on being chosen in the Final Four! Mike is looking as Great as ever in this photo with that heart melting smile :) He is just too cute! As you would say Zenyatta!
My Sweet Lady Zenyatta, so glad to hear from you! I know it is exciting with all The Derby preparations going on. I just hope it’s dry for the running for the roses. Talk later Sweet Z. Sending Hugs & Kisses To You From Alabama With Love, Amanda G.