Good Morning All,
It is such a fun time! I’m hearing the weather in California is a bit cooler than it is here. I am so enjoying all of my time outside…snacking on this very tasty Kentucky Blue Grass.
Many of you asked in the responses about our contest winner, MISS # 19…Dawn Conrad. Well, it is TOO CUTE! Dawn actually went to California on a bit of a holiday and asked Dottie if she and her friend could visit BARN 55. Here she is with STEVE…..standing right in MY STALL! She looks fabulous!
Dawn spent her time at the barn visiting with the horses and all of MY TEAM. She truly enjoyed herself and sent Dottie a wonderful message yesterday. Since so many of you asked how she is doing, I’d like to share parts of her email with you! (Dawn is fine with this.)
“Once I introduced myself as the lucky owner of #19, congrats were offered and we all went to Zenyatta’s stall for some pictures. What fun and how special I felt!!!”
“Then there were the beautiful horses!! Ebby was so gorgeous and such a sweetheart. You can certainly see some of Zenny in her as well as Bernardini, especially in her coloring and lovely top line. Received a kiss from Nereid and Mr. Commons was a perfect gentleman. Then it was on to see Makoma and meet Winston. I could have spent days talking with everyone and going from one stall to the next. I agree with the sentiment of John’s you voiced in today’s diary. After the time I spent at the ‘Clinic’, it was great for my soul to hug the horses. (I did get good news from the clinic. Yippee!!)
“The only thing that could have made it better was seeing Zenyatta, herself. I could picture her standing in her stall or grazing under her trees. It was a bit bittersweet for me having never met her while she was there. I had tried making it to California and the Breeder’s Cup, but the timing did not work out. To lay my hand on her neck as I did Ebby’s will be a hope I will hold in my heart forever.”
“Everyone speaks of her with great pride and just a touch of sadness. You can tell John misses her a great deal.”
How special of Dawn to share her thoughts with Dottie after the visit. I must add that Dottie did agree with her that John really does MISS ME…as does all of MY TEAM. In reality, I was at Barn 55 for over 4 1/2 years. I never left their sight for one moment. We spent countless hours together and have so many cherished memories.
In life, it is such a GREAT FEELING to know that you are missed, you are loved, and you can touch someone’s soul to such a degree!
I am truly SO FORTUNATE!
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Lauren
Dear Zenny – I was so happy to see that Dawn was able to visit your old home at Barn 55. How special a time it must have been. You bring so much joy and love into everyone’s lives. You have touched my soul greatly. Have a blessed day beautiful girl. xoxoxo
victoria racimo
All choked up and teary with joy and bittersweet emotions after Misty’s perfect paragraph on the Breeders Cup night encounter. You continue to represent a light and hope adding to only all of our lives but to the life of our country as well.
Beth Alexander
We are all fortunate just to have witnessed your greatness! Love you always!
Cheryl Smith
Lucky Dawn! Nice Story!
Marty
Oh Zenny I will never forget the day I got to meet you at Hollywood Park. It was awe inspiring and fabulous.
It was less than a week before the Breeders cup. You have this aura about you.
My background photo at work is the picture of You, Mario and I together. I look at it everyday and wish you were still in California just a few miles down the 405.
Have fun grazing.
Allen
I am so glad that Dawn got to visit Barn 55. Z you touch the heart and soul of everyone that comes in contact with you. Now go munch on some blue grass, and I hope you have a great day.
Tracy B.
Hi Zennie (and Dottie) Once again, your blog has brought tears to my eyes. You have affected so many people in so many positive ways! I’m so glad Dawn got to visit Barn 55 and meet “your people” and horse friends. @Misty…such a touching story and just shows that Zenyatta is really one of those “once in a lifetime” horses. Love you “Z”!!!!
Karen Gogue
@Dawn Conrad – me too! I was really, really hoping to run into you there @ Barn 55. I missed you by about 3 days I believe – so near, yet so far. Your message to Dottie teared me up – the charm of John does indeed infect everyone @ that special place, does it not? And they are what you posted too!
Karen Gogue
@Judy(Maass)Gadwood and Ann Maree – I totally agree. An Angel among us and only once in a lifetime!
Trisha Veazey
No we are the fgrtunate ones.
Love hugs and kisses
Mary Stanford
I see Tracy above had tears reading this ..and so do I. When it comes to you Z…your love of people…and the love of everyone who loves you is such a wonderful and beautiful thing. With so much negative going on in the world…bad economy …high gas and food prices, so many people out of work….we can come on here…read your blog …and for a few moments….all is right with the world. Hugs to you Z….
Andrea from Germany
I totally agree to Misty- there is something magical about Zenyatta. Love you Zenny.
Trisha Veazey
oops, that would fortunate. Typo
Jeffrey
Very nice trip report Dawn.
Elizabeth G.
You have touched my soul too.
Missing you so very much only makes your family’s visits with you even so more special.
How fortunate for everyone to be able to love the one and only Zenyatta.
Georgia Harper
@Dawn you are one lucky lady how wonderful to get to visit Barn 55 and talk with all of the Z Team. Thanks so for sharing your visit with us.
@ Misty I must have been waiting for the same shuttle because I saw lots of tears as well. Amazing how we just still can’t get over that last little step that would have kept our Queen undefeated.
XXOO to all
Karen Gogue
@Judy(Maass)Gadwood – I’m laughing, I do that all the time! Don’t worry about such a small thing! :)
Susan in TN
@Dawn: How wonderful that you are back and with good news!!! I loved your recounting of your visit to Barn 55- it’s like you were “our” eyes and ears! How neat you got to meet everyone, human and equine. I can imagine there is a Zenyatta-size hole there that is tinged with sadness. 4 1/2 years, 24/7 is a long time to be bonded with any horse, much less Zenyatta! I wish Kentucky were closer to California, for their sake.
@Karen Gogue: I have missed posting for a day or two, so I didn’t get to mention how spectacular your cake was that you took to Barn 55 for John!! Wow-really beautiful-and how thoughtful of you! I’m so glad you got to go there! I hope to, some day.
@Misty: What a touching story- Zenny really has affected so many of us, hasn’t she?
Hope everyone is having a great day! I need to g back and read yesterday’s post.
Cynthia H.
@Misty. Thank you so much for posting your beautiful comment. It truly touched a chord, because tomorrow is (incredibly) the 38th anniversary of “Big Red’s” monumental 31-length victory in the Belmont. Some of you diary readers were probably not even alive at the time, or far too young to recall anything about it. The memories of that day are not only etched in my mind, they are engraved upon my heart. I was one of the 65,000 fans sweltering in the humidity of a torrid day at Belmont that June 9th, but all feelings of discomfort melted as we watched a horse of immense power and majesty accomplish what seemed an inpossible feat. Everyone present must have thought that we would never in our lives be priviledged to wintess such a transcendent moment ever again. It illuminated my life and lit my inner world for years.
But as the saying goes, it was a blessing, as well as a curse. Because, like so many others, I was forever seeking that same magic, and another moment to rival all that I had felt and seen at Belmont so long ago. It took over 30 years, but the racing gods were merciful, and along came the massively-talented Zenyatta, with her charismatic ability to connect with people from all walks of life, on every level. Watching her glorious Breeders’ Cup Classic win in 2009 resurrected those feelings which had lain dormant for a lifetime—overwhelming joy, and the recognition that one was witnessing something which transcended time and place. The ear-deafening roar from the crowd, the sound of thousands of hands applauding in unison (I literally burst a vessel in one of my fingers), the euphoria that only one who has witnessed something so magnificent that the mind cannot manufacture words to describe it—this was Zenyatta’s and Secretariat’s gift to us. In my heart, they will be forever inter-locked as the Queen and King of racing.
Please forgive the length of this posting. I have been thinking about Secretariat because of the anniversary of his win tomorrow, and how much he and Zenyatta mean to so many people.
Barbara Wood
@Misty–thank you so much for sharing. I’ll always believe that that was Z’s greatest race of them all. What a girl!
Great pic of Dawn and Steve. What an “event” that must have been!
Could we get updates on Frankie the foal?
Susan in TN
Zenny- What a good, kind girl you are! I am so glad you are at such a wonderful place as Lane’s End with great people to care for you, good friends and scrumptious blue grass! Love you.
@Dottie and ALL of Team Z: I am thinking of you and everything you have done and are doing for all of us! Thank you <3
Neva Rae Powers
And love keeps flowing!
Barbara Wood
I went back to the blog about Frankie, and there are updates from today.
Susan in TN
@Cynthia H: How well said! I can’t imagine seeing Secretariat run that Belmont in person- I will never forget watching it on television and just being struck dumb! I still get cold chills when I watch it on YouTube. And then, as you said, to be lucky enough to be around for ZENYATTA- she is the first since Big Red to give me cold chills and that same feeling of sheer joy at the seeming impossibility that you have just witnessed! 38 years, you say? wow…
DJ
To Dawn: You look so happy with Steve in our “Z”‘s Stall! I would feel just like a little kid again..Christmas came early :)
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Judy G.: or ‘Dumpling on the stove’ works for me too!
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Have a beautiful day Sweet “Z”. Many thanks for all of the Hope you and your family inspires on a daily basis.
Lil from KY
I for one am soooo glad that Zen is not in Ca, but in good ‘ol Ky @ the wonderful Lanes End Farm, where she is cherished & given only the very best of care! It is time that Zenyatta is “shared” with Ky and the rest of the world. Fans here, North, East & South all love Zen as much as you Californians do.
We hope sometime in the future (may not be soon) that Lanes End will allow visitation, & we would certainly welcome all of you to come & visit. I would love to meet a lot of you that have written so lovingly about our Queen.
Karen Mitchell
Dear Zenyatta, Dottie, and Team Z, What a wonderful post. Reading Dawn’s description of her special visit to Barn 55 brings back memories of my visit there last December when Steve took a picture of Z giving me a kiss. Her nose is the softest thing ever and her eyes are so kind. She just radiates sweetness and love to all her fans around the world.
@Dawn: What a treat to meet all the horses and talk with all the Barn 55 team. I believe your wish to meet Z will come true as you are under a lucky star. And I’m so happy you got good news at the Clinic.
Sarah Powell
Well, once again between Dawn’s e-mail and Misty and Cynthia’s post, I am boo-hooing! I watched Secretariat on that day so long ago and as Cynthia H. posted, nothing has matched that feeling until I watched you run in the 2009 BC. I still watch it about once a week and get just as excited. I can’t imagine how much you are missed in Cal. So glad Dawn got to visit your team and “shrine” and got good news. You still have that inexplicable way of touching people deeply. (thanks Dottie)
Linda Deutsch
We are the fortunate ones, dear Zenyatta, to have you and your fabulous team in our lives via these amazing posts and photos. You are truly awe inspiring and we try to emulate you every day. Hugs & a huge nose kiss.
Patricia Emery
I am sure that it was a wonderful experience…I have seen many pics of Ebby and cannot wait to see her race!
I am sure she is giving you sisterly advice on your pregnancy, like take it easy, get plenty of rest, eat good food etc….How can your foal not be one of the most gorgeous ever??!!
Bernie must also be so proud…
It is countdown to the Belmont Saturday….very exciting!
XOXO