Hello everyone,
Things continue to be very exciting here for me at the FARM. LOOK AT THIS! I did so well my first couple days in the paddock that I now have been introduced to my first BUDDY. She is in my barn and stabled right across from me. Her name is Pirate Queen. We are really doing very well together. She is gray and I am dark brown/black so it is easy to tell us apart. I am having SO MUCH FUN!
Our schedule is rather nice! In the morning, we walk out to the paddock together. At that point, when we are settled into the paddock, we get ‘turned out’. (This means the shanks are taken off and we are now ‘free’.) Then we get to play, run, jog, and graze! Here we are just relaxing and grazing. I often grazed with a friend on the grass back home in Barn 55…so this is all very normal for me. At home in CA, Harmonious and I would spend hours outside together. Then I’d also graze with Zardana quite a bit. I like having friends and being able to share my time and experiences with them.
I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s Diary. I tried to give you lots of details about my time ‘being free’ in the paddock. Dottie really helped me put my thoughts and feelings into words for you! Each of the moments was so special to me…and seeing my TEAM Z FAMILY again made that day even more precious! WOW!
THE BLOODHORSE video is also amazing. I hope you have been able to watch it. As I mentioned, Anne M. Eberhardt and Alex from the magazine were here filming and taking photos. They did a fabulous job capturing ‘the moment’ and my time outside! I hope you enjoy it! I personally want to THANK THEM for their hard work and dedication to our sport! They really wanted this experience to be very special and memorable…not only for me and my TEAM…but for the FANS! Again, THANK YOU!
I’m off to go play some more with my BUDDY! I wonder if she has a nickname. I have several of them: Z, Queen Z, Zenny, and Lady Z to name a few. I’ll find out and let you know. I am so excited. This is great FUN!
Cheers for a wonderful, wonderful day for each of you!
With love,
Hugs to all~
Z
Joy
this is wonderful to see.I do thank you Dottie for all you work and keeping us up todate with this wonderful horse.I at last am happy for her.
Sandy
To everyone who has been so wonderful with posts pictures and videos, THANK YOU! What a lovely picture and a great post. Merry Christmas to all of you who have worked so diligently at keeping us in touch with our favorite mare!
Lino Dominguez
A buddy, huh? Fanatastic! Whats the sense of having a heart as big as you do and not have one too share it with…happy for you g!rl. Hope its not short-lived. Heres to friends …even if they are whinny and gray! LOL!
Vicki
The video of you playing in the snow is Priceless! When you ran with your tail up my mind flashed back to the Black Stallion movie and him on the beach. If you haven’t seen that movie Zenyatta, you need to put in a request. I am all SMILES for you!
Shannon
Absolutely wonderful! What a lucky girl Pirate Queen is to have you, Miss Queen Z, as a paddock buddy.
(Dottie, you are amazing too and brilliant to keep this update flowing. WE love it and it makes everyday bright for us.)
Yvonne Pece Schnell
Soooooooooooo Happy for you Lady Z
Irene Caty
Hello Zenny, what fun you are haveing and now you have a pal to share your fun time with. I like seeing that because I know it makes you happy. I watched your video over a few times again and am sharing it with others that are following what is happening with you. We were all so happy to watch you run free and also to see you dance. That is our real happy Zenyatta that we all fell in love with. It was also good to see the Z-Team family out there shareing your wonderfully exciting day. I felt quite happy after watching the video and reading your post myself. I always wonder about you and how you feel about all this new life with new people so suddenly. I’m sure you will get use to all of it in time. Keep having fun and glad you have a friend now. I know that you are a very social Queen. Love you much, Zenny.
donalee :)
How sweet. Two Queens sharing the outdoors together. Of course you are THE QUEEN! It’s wonderful to see you doing so well. I love getting to follow your new career. I have had so many horses I’ve loved over the years only to at best hear bits and piece of how they are doing once they retire from the track. To be able to follow my all time most loved horse is just more than seems possible. Thank you to your team and especially Dottie for keeping us up to date! Love you Queen Z!
donalee :)
Theresa
Enjoy your new friendship, Zenny!
Adrianne
Love you Z!!!
Sarah Powell
So glad Lady Z has a “grazing” buddy! Horses are so social and really do not like being alone. Thanks for all the updates – can’t get enough of seeing and hearing about the Queen and the video was wonderful – photos are great but there’s something so special about watching her run – even just in the paddock. Won’t it be something to see a little foal trying to keep up? Of course any “little princess” of Z’s won’t have a problem!
Becky
Zen, you and Dottie did a GREAT job with yesterday’s diary. There was so much lovely detail, it was the next best thing to being there. Thank you!
I’m glad you have a buddy now, friends are great!
Anna M
Zenyatta, I loved seeing the video. You look like you are in absolute heaven there. You are and always will be my all time favorite Thoroughbred.. I will miss seeing you on the track but look forward to seeing your babies.. Enjoy retirement. You deserve it..
Dana
You are truly special! To keep us updated
on your activities is so thoughtful and it means so much to us! It helps us adjust to not seeing you on the racetrack!
Thank you for bringing such joy in our lives!
Jan Mitchell
To Bubba Wrenn: Thanks for the information about how Z and Pirate Queen and Zardana are cousin’s!
Merry Christmas to Team Z and thank you for making this possible and for bringing Mario to Lane’s End on Monday. Mario and Zenyatta have a deep and abiding bond that is so obvious…..they are like one!
Stephanie Quilichini
Another Queen to hang out with! Loved the Bloodhorse video-they did a great job. Hoping they can shoot another one with your friends with you this time!
Marion
I’am so happy for you ….to go out with horse friends in the paddock is the best life a horse can have ….your are very loved by everyone , enjoy your day and I can’t wait to hear what is next for you. My english is bad because I’am German.
I love you Queen Z
Carolyn Caswell-Brown
A relaxing lunch date with a new BF. Nothing could be finer. Are you telling Pirate how great it felt to beat the boys? Don’t give to much away. I’ll bet You, Rags & Rachael could have a notorious discussion on that subject over a pint of Guinness, a little poker and maybe a fine Cigar!!. . . “I enjoy being a girl”. . . . ZENYATTA IS ALIVE & MAGIC IS AFOOT
Linda Moss
Dear Queen Z – what a treat to be able to be kept posted on your new life. You have warmed our hearts and inspired us all during your racing career. Best wishes to you and yours during this holiday season. You certainly have my vote for Horse Of The Year!
Vicki
Zenyatta, I love the video of you playing in the snow yesterday. Each day I look for new diary posts from you. You are amazing!!!!
Denise
Z…your team takes amazing care of you. They just do all the right things for you to acclimate to a new life. Thank them for me. And most of all, thank Dottie for her time, dedication and wonderful way with words to keep us so up to date with you! Merry Christmas to all!
dunie oneil
So happy for you, Queen of all Queens!
Debbie
Dear sweet Zenyatta. Yes, the video and all of the pictures on Bloodhorse were absolutely amazing and brought forth the tears. But it is so wonderful to see you run, and jump and whinney. You decided to run your own race and then dance for everyone afterward. You are truly a majestic athlete. And it is so obvious how much you care for Team Z, espeically Mario. I’m sure he loved the nuzzle you gave him. You have made everyone happy with your happiness. Happy Holidays to the Queen-see you in person next year!
Debbi M
The Two Queens—-Royalty abounds at Lane’s End!!!!!! Just happy for you, Queen Z. Happy, happy, happy. :)
Kathryn Cogswell
Dear Marion: Your English reads perfectly! You are lucky to have two languages, and think & say your thoughts in both. Good, good work. Khc.
Ann Maree
Hey, Z-girl, Such joy to watch you in the video filmed on Monday by BloodHorse and compliments of Lane’s End! And, now you have a friend! Things are moving along fast for you! You are very smart, though, and you pick up on new stuff fast, so we shouldn’t be surprised! I was worried that you would miss the competition of racing, the fun you and Mike Smith had together. I’m sure this is lessened with the amount of freedom you now have to explore, to run like the wind whenever you want, and you have new friends you can hang out with in your paddock area. I bet Lane’s End still has lots of folks watching over you, but I bet their job is a little easier now. Stay warm! Your friend, Ann Maree
(Dottie: I’m assuming the young man you were visiting with in the video is your son, David. He’s certainly very handsome, as well as smart when he found Zenyatta for the Mosses. Thanks once again for everything her connections have done and are doing. Thanks for all that you are doing…it must have been hard for both you and John to keep all your other clients happy and not feel neglected with all the attention Zen is and has been getting. I know it was a labor of love, but it is still very, very special to have been allowed into the “backside” of the sport. Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all! – Ann Maree
Terri Z
So glad that you now can spend time out in the paddock with your new friend.
Kudos to Bloodhorse and the Mosses for the most awesome short horse video I have ever viewed. It was breathtaking and Bloodhorse deserves to win mutiple awards for that wonderful video.
Thanks again, Dottie and all the wonderful members of Team Z for making this possible.
Is Z getting her leg messages again?
What a blessing to have such a classy and giving racing team.
What we are witnessing is a important change in sharing information and videos about retired race horses.
And this is really a revolution in receiving info about a retired mare; mares disappear into the fabric of a farm and very little info is shared once they have retired.
Jess Jackson should be ashamed of himself, as he didn’t even have a going away party for Rachel Alexander. She had many loyal fans and she’s whisked off to Stonestreet Farm without a word being said.
Godbless the Mosses for their love, sharing, kindness, and generousity. They have donated much needed money to rescue retired thoroughbreds. And they have saved horses from the slaughterhouse.
Wishing Queen Z, Team Z, Lanes End, and all of the fans here a wonderful holiday and New Year.
carolyn
Hopefully next year when you are pregnant you can be out with Life is Sweet. Looks like Pirate Queen is a nice friend too! But there can’t be 2 “Queens” lol
Denise
To Patty!! I’m in Keowee Key, SC! Small, small world. To Team Z…thank you again for sharing her transition with us!
Chip
I would like to thank Lane’s End for giving the fans this opportunity to see, Zenyatta, adjusting to her new home. Zenyatta looks like she is having a great time. That was so Awesome of Mr & Ms Moss to fly The Team, to visit Zenyatta!! Merry Christmas to Everyone :)