Dear Friends,
It has been such a touching weekend…but I must say in so many different ways. Life has a way of being like this. There were 2 birthdays I honored…My dear pal, Charles, here at the farm and my owner’s wonderful MOM, Jean. Then MY JOHN and Dottie attended their niece’s wedding celebration and it was all so special.
On the horse front, BLACK CAVIAR won #19…. ANIMAL KINGDOM won his comeback race with style, and some very impressive 3 year olds celebrated victories around the country. All of this so much fun to watch and enjoy!
Then, on our Zenyatta. com home front, our dear KARI BUSSELL, one of my most loving and endearing fans passed away on February 17th. Her daughter let all of us know by posting on the site….and so many have responded with love and heartfelt sympathy.
I did meet KARI and would like to share with you some of her words that she shared with our friend, Steve Haskin. Steve sent them to Dottie over the weekend.
The photo above is very significant as standing by this fence at Churchill Downs the Sunday after Breeders’ Cup in 2010 is where I first met her. At this time, she knew she was very ill. This heart was made that day by fans for ME. I am sharing it with KARI, her family, and all of you this morning along with some of her OWN WORDS all written at that time.
“I try to find joy (Zenyatta gives me much) and pretend this (illness) is not happening, if that makes sense. I love to laugh. Just so you know on Sunday afternoon….I was making my husband go back to Churchill Downs to see the Barbaro statue. I am an avid (horse racing) fan. Okay, so in looking for Churchill Downs to see Barbaro we got lost and there SHE was. It still blows my mind how that happened. “
“It is really Zenyatta’s story. I thank God for her, Mr. Shirreffs (my hero), Dottie, The Moss’ and all of them. I love them all for their love and care for Z and all horses. Frank is the one I hold very dear. He was the one who made it happen. I picked up leaves, a stick, and an acorn from the spot it happened. I only need to look at them or shut my eyes and joy runs through my veins.”
“He made sure I got to feel Zenyatta’s right ear graze my fingertip through the fence. It was very emotional for me. He teared up watching me. It was the highlight of my life. My dying wish was to just touch her once. I know in my heart she is the reason I am still alive today and have thus far defied the odds and what Doctors told me. She inspired me to never give up. Plus I refused to go anywhere until her story was finished. I am terminally ill and want to write to him (Frank) and tell him what that meant to me and thank him.”
She did!
As you can see from Kari’s words, I have been extremely blessed to be around so many loving and giving people. She goes on to say how so many people were there on that Sunday afternoon and I even had a cake sent to ME over the fence. So many memories…so many treasured moments…so many wonderful people.
I would like KARI’S FAMILY to know from the bottom of my heart, how much all of her kind words, love, and respect means to ME and MY TEAM. We will definitely THANK FRANK AGAIN for his thoughtfulness and helping to make something very special happen for KARI on that November day in 2010!
With Love,
Hugs to all~ (Blessings to KARI and HER FAMILY!)
Z
Mary Copelin
Cynthia H. and Linda Edwards- I thought your most recent posts were so meaningful and moving. What wonderful thoughts and observations to contribute for Kari’s family members and all of us to read and reflect on.
Thanks for sharing. Mary
Janey Boyd
What a touching story.You bless so many Z and you spread love all over.Thank you and blessings to Kari’s family. I hope you are feeling well and the little one will be here soon,Believe a little filly is on the way.Take care and get your rest.Hugs to you and Tasty!
Yvonne and Maurice
Hi Zenyatta. I am sorry sorry to hear about Kari, our sympathies go out to her daughter and family. How terribly sad. Thank you Dottie for sharing Kari’s very special moment with our Z. May she rest in peace.
It was a very special weekend for racing. I just love Drill and Scatman, who ran well in defeat. Love watching the 3 year olds warming up for the Derby. Had on my Black Caviar t-shirt today, congrats to her on her 19th.
Love you big girl. Counting off the days on the calendar – cannot wait for you and Tasty to become mommies. Looking so forward to seeing your babies run and jump in the paddock. Rachel’s baby is too cute! Cannot wait to find out what name they have chosen for him. Will you be having a contest to name the baby? Love you, Angels.
Deneen from NE
Hi Zenyatta! Hope Charles and Jean had wonderful birthdays and John/Dottie enjoyed their niece’s wedding. Happy to hear the news about BC and AK. What a beautiful, touching story about your loving fan, Kari. It brought tears to my eyes. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. Anxiously awaiting to hear the news of your little one. I, too, think you will have a filly. Please take care and prayers for safe deliveries for you and TT. Love you sweetie!!
P.S. Z’s fans are the greatest . . . thanks to everyone!
Peggy (N) South Georgia
Couldn’t call it a day without saying Goodnight to you dear Z, hope you are doing wonderful.
@Judy, No i was so heartbroken when I was at Darley, Bernie was there but he was just back in from Australia and was in Quarantine. That was the only sad thing about that visit. I will go back though and try again to see him another day. I did get to spend a lot of time with Street Cry. Just loved that.
@Dear Sis Dawn, I hope to go down to Ocala to the sales in March. My mom we discovered as a heart valve problem. She’s 79 and doing o.k. but it really woried my brother and I. It’s just something that can get worse, but there’s nothing the Dr says they can do to help it. It is the Aortic Valve. He said she could be fine for years but then she might not. The only thing they could do if it gets worse is surgery down the line. Anyway, we are trying to watch her close. So if she’s doing o,k I plan to go. So sorry for this terrible typing . I think I’m tired we were so busy today. I am training a new girl. She is coming along good.
@Signofthetimes, yes I so much agree Shiek Mahammed just needs to leave his horses here.
LOL to everyone.
signofthetimes
Dear Peggy N
Missed the whole story about you going to Darley
(Dah !!!!). Sorry. To spends lots of time with Street
Cry, how wonderful. Bernie was in quarantine. It
Really worries me sending these special guys
All over the world to breed. Guess I could never
Run an international breeding facility. Guess with
All the $$$$. They must travel super first class.
Hopefully will someday go to Darley USA.
Used to work in CVICU many moons ago. We had
96 year olds having double valve replacements and
Flying right threw the procedure with great recovery.
I am sure the recovery is even quicker now. I worked
At the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in V
Cleveland, Ohio. We did 13 heart surgeries a day.
Another great place is St Luke’s in Houston. Dr.
Cooley is still operating. Dr Debakey from Methodist
His arch rival passed at 98 in 2009.
Surgery for the elderly is well controlled now and
Fairly safe. Hope your mom stays stable.
Jan S. / Houston
Signofthetimes, I am a physcians assistant, and worked at both St. Lukes and Methodist during my internship. I had the pleasure of meeting both of these amazing surgeons, and observe them in the OR. Now I work down the street
at Ben Taub Trauma hospital in the medical center. Never a dull moment..
Barbara Wood (Texas)
Praying that your mom will live for many, many years yet. Please keep us updated. Hugs.
Dawn Conrad / Colorado
Dear “Sis” Peggy,
I am so sorry to hear your mother is having health problems!! I will be praying for you and your mother and wishing you both the very best! My family actually has an awful history of heart problems, so I can understand your concern. I was in the hospital on Monday with mother for Gall Bladder tests. Sorry to say that it looks like there may be some surgery in her near future. Hopefully it will make her feel better. Mother also has Cardiopulmonary Disease and a pacemaker. She seems to be doing really well with that and is always ready and willing when I mention a trip. She enjoys going so much and I love our time together. I knew some sales were coming up shortly, I hope you do get to take a break and go enjoy seeing all of those beaufitul horses. Heaven!!! My staff virtually never turns over, but we did have a teller leave about 5 months ago, so have had a new trainee also. She is doing great and I am so happy to have her on my team!! I have plans to be heading back to Kentucky in June, so will be sure to give Bernie greetings from you my friend!! Have a wonderful day tomorrow!
Love and hugs,j
Dawn
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Dawn:
Wishing your Mom all the best. Love and Hugs, JB
Trina Nagele in So Cal
I hope your mother will be OK, Dawn.
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Peggy N.
Hope your Mom does well without needing any procedures.
Oh, too bad you weren’t able to see Bernie on your trip to Darley. Hopefully, next time.
But spending time with Street Cry is pretty close. As you and Sign have said, wish the stallions could stay stateside. There is no real probability that I will ever make it to see the stallions in Kentucky. So, if you ever see Bernie, would you give him a hug from me. He’s my all time favorite boy. Love and Hugs to you and your Mom, JB
Stephanie in San Diego
Peggy,
Will be praying for you Mom. Hope you get some much needed rest.
Trina Nagele in So Cal
I hope your mom stays fine. HugZ.
Sue Fredrick - Wisconsin
Peggy N, sending healing prayers for your mother, hope all goes well and she doesn’t need the surgery. Hugs
Paula Higgins
To Kari’s family: I am so very sorry for your loss. I will never forget her. She made an impression on all of us with her grace, love of Zenyatta, and her great personal courage. She was a role model for me on how to cope with adversity and yet maintain her passion for the world around her. She was simply an inspiration. Zenyatta has the best guardian angel in heaven she could ever ask for.
Jill Mabry
Dear Zenyatta and Dottie,
Thank you for the update. My condolences to Kari’s family…they are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time!! I would like to thank Kari for ALL of the wonderful videos of you that she shared with us over the years. Rest in Peace Kari…you will be missed by us all!! Love and Hugs to You and Little One!! XOXO <3
Love ya,
Jill
Barbara Wood (Texas)
Sahron–Happy Birthday TOMORROW! We must be nearly the same age!
Barbara Wood (Texas)
Aaugh!! “Sharon”–wish I could type. That’s another thing Kari and I joked about.
Lisa B./Escondido, CA
I never met Kari but it is like I knew her through the videos she made of Zenyatta. You can feel her love for life in them. She is a lady with a very big heart. I will miss her dearly. When I watched a video of hers this morning it brought tears down my cheek. Dear Kari may you rest in peace.
Zenny,
A Happy Happy Birthday to YOUR Charles, and Miss Jean.
Congrats to the niece of YOUR John and Dottie, on her marriage.
Oh Zenny you bring so much joy to life !! Hugs & Kisses to YOU and TT.
Love YOU OOOXXX
Elizabeth
Dear Zenyatta –
Thank you so much for your beautiful post and your tribute to Kari. My heart truly goes out to her friends and family during this difficult time. Thank you for sending this beautiful story about the healing touch of Zenyatta on her life. Thank you so much, lady Z, for your huge heart and how you have brought so many people together in love. Many thanks and blessings to all of team Z and to Kari’s family and many friends.
Love,
Elizabeth
Dallas from Texas
Hey Baby Girl. Zenyatta, you’re the greatest. You have help me keep the faith. Love you.
Brenda
My condolences to Kari’s family, but so glad she got to see & touch Z before she left this earth. For those of us that love horses it is hard for some people to understand how incredibly special they are!! But when you really love them, the thrill is unmeasurable. May she run with the horses in heaven!!
Peggy (N) South Georgia
@Sign, Barbara, Dawn, Judy, Thank you all for your well wishes for my mom. And, Thank you so much for your insight about the heart issues. The Cardiologist that talked to us just recently was really good he tooktime to really explain things, but it seem so complex I know I probably mixed some of it up.
Dawn I hope your mom gets better
@Judy, Barbara, thanks so much for your well wishes. Just love you all.
I had one more little thing I wanted to say about Darley, Sign, if you go there, Dawn you might have seen him. But Oh my, you have to love Quiet Amierican, the day I was there he was everything but a Quiet American.. Don’t know what had him riled up so. He was just a knocking about in his stall. Winninging, (oh my probably didn’t spell that right) Very loudly. I think you could have probably heard him from miles away. Too Cute.
Oh and Dawn, I have to visit with Affirmed too. Just love him
Zenny, nervously awaiting.
Kari B.s daughter
Dear Dottie,
My moma was in awe of you. She would have been so proud to have you honor her in this way. She wanted nothing more than for you to know how grateful she was to you, for all you do and how much she had come to love you through this diary. She always did, but she told me it had multiplied even more. Your husband, her true hero, was the only man I ever heard her refer to as her hero. She loved Zenyatta, everyone and everything connected to Zenyatta with a passion and intensity she usually reserved for family. You brightened her every day with this diary and filled her heart with joy. .For this, to use one of her favorite expressions, we will be eternally grateful.The sentimental significance she had for hearts is known only to a few. Thank you for Each and Every time you gave her joy. We will never forget it and always love you for it. We want to thank You, Zenyatta and All of her team for the kind words, respect and love You showed her today. Your beautiful tribute to her took some of the spears out of our broken hearts, made us smile and feel joy for her for the first time since her passing. From the bottom of our hearts We thank You, Zenyatta, Frank Leal and Steve Haskin. You will all always have a very special place in our hearts.
**Moma always wanted to be a little different. She did not like that momma is so common. She always signed her cards to me moma and pronounced it mom-a. There was nothing common about her.
Earlier today, I wrote to Cynthia to ask her to please express our gratitude and share portions of the beautiful email she sent to me describing how moma must be reacting to such a high honor and outpouring of love. She graciously agreed to do this for us. I thought I was too emotional to do it. I could not allow this day to pass without personally thanking Dottie. We are grateful to her and to everyone who wrote such loving, kind words about her.
I do believe she and Cloud Man are racing through the clouds with all the greats, laughing with joy, watching over all of us, and whispering in Zenyatta’s ear.
JAG / Grieving Auntie Judy / So. CA
♥♥♥
Kari’s Daughter
If I could give you a hug – I would! My sincere condolences to you, your father, and the whole family.
I had a wonderful internet relationship with your mother on facebook and on youtube. I will miss her dearly…. Her spirit lives on…..
Judy Maass Gadwood
♥♥♥
signofthetimes
Dear Kari B’s daughter,
I was so hoping that you would see this post
Today and respond. So very glad that it has provided
Some healing for your loss. Your moma was a very
Special woman and she has raised a very special
Daughter. Thank you so much Dottie, Johns, The
Mosses and wonderful Frank for touching our lives and
Writing this special tribute to Kari B. You are very very
Very special people.
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Kari B’s Daughter:
You are your Moma’s daughter in how like her you are in expressing your feelings. Blessings to you and your family. Kari will be missed on this site; but will be with us all in spirit. Love and Hugs, Judy and Russ
Stephanie in San Diego
OH Kari’s daughter, You are your moma’s girl. Your heart comes through your writing, just ilke hers. I know she is dancing in heaven with pride in you.
NorCalFan#1
A beautiful post…about beautiful, loving folks and you, Zenyatta–all through you! We surely understand Kari’s love for you…peace at last.
JAG / Grieving Auntie Judy / So. CA
Attention Facebook Peeps:
Zenyatta’s Baby Shower
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=316171748430306&id=1710171430#!/pages/Zenyattas-Baby-Shower/345498762147759
Marshall (in NC)
Zenny and Dottie,
Thanks so much for the lovely tribute to Kari B. Diary Post #441 was just perfect.
Stay well and safe — Sweet dreams to you and Tasty T, too. Love and hugs!
Elizabeth in Oregon
To Kari’s Daughter — I am still in shock, and your lovely letter about your mother has started the tears flowing again. Though I never met her, I enjoyed her posts and admired her wonderful spirit. Please accept our condolences. She will be so greatly missed. Thank-you for your kind message, and hugs to you. :-)
harriett (Oklahoma)
I am so saddened to hear of Kari’s death. I loved her videos and postings. Zenny, she loved you so much, and I am so glad that you were able to meet each other last year. Kari will be forever in my heart, as are all of you. What a loving and uplifting group of people you are, brought together by Zenny and Dottie!
Suzen
Dearest Zenyatta,
The impact that you have on the world is truly astonishing. I did not know Kari, but I spent some time by the fence that November day in 2010, so I feel connected, through you.
Condolences to the family and May Kari Rest In Peace.
Mary Hale
@Kim in Louisville — you expressed my thoughts. I didn’t know Kari but enjoyed her creations and tenacity to hang on. My condolences to Kari, her family, and her friends.
Thank you Zenny and Dottie for such a loving tribute to Kari. That’s why we love you so. You have brought us together to celebrate life and to support each other in down times. On my bucket list — just to be close to you to say I was in your presence. One of these days….
Have a wonder day everyone.
Susan from Fl
Such a wonderfull, well deserved tribute!
Cynthia H./ 12th ♥
Dear Kari B.’s daughter:
You are so like your beloved Moma, in that that you are ever so much more than you think. Your heartfelt tribute to your Moma, “our Kari,” was a gift to Dottie, John “Hero” Shirreffs and Team, Zenyatta, and to us, straight from the heart. Your Moma would have been so proud, and would no doubt have been “squalling” by the end. I could feel Kari’s love and gratitude shining through every word. If she had guided your hand herself and whispered in your ear, it could not have been more beautifully expressed, in her manner. You have been so very brave throughout the past few days, so courageous, and have been a source of comfort to many. Please know that you can always look to us a source of comfort, too. We are here for you, always..
It was the highest honor to have been asked to speak in Kari’s name, but in that regard, I see that I can learn from you, and that you need no assistance.
I am very proud of you, too.
12th ♥
Trina Nagele in So Cal
Thank you to all who commented on today’s poems. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Anne
Such a touching story. It brought tears to my eyes to know that Frank was kind enough to see how much Kari wanted to be apart of Zenyatta’s life. For that one moment in time, can never be taken away from her. It certainly made her life complete as it was something on her “bucket list” and it was fulfilled. Wow! It doesn’t get any better than that! I hope other trainers, owners etc. read this story or have read this story and see how something as small of a gesture as this can help someone overcome the horrible hand they were dealt with due to an illness, that at times, has no cure. I am dealing with a special friend now, and watching her body just crumble. It is devastating. This is another reason why this story is so beautiful and heartfelt.
Thanks to all of team Z and Zenyatta, of course, for just being YOU! She has touched so many of us in a way we can not always explain especially to those that just don’t get it.
Sue MacGray
Please forward my prayers and condolences to Kari’s family…. My husband and I were there that day and it was magical from the beginning to the end. We were there early but I learned about the rest of the day through youtube and people’s pictures. Z you are special to so many people and in so many different ways. We are all blessed to “have” you.
OraJean Stevenson
Dearest Zenny, Team-Z and all the Zen-sters,
This was a beautiful and touching Diary entry. Kari’s YouTube tribute to Queen-Z,
was wonderful, also the “HEART of LEAVES” in the fence at CHD…she has left a mark
of BEAUTY in this world. R.I.P. dear Kari. You have touched my heart, for sure!
Thank you, Dottie, for your loving words, today.
Prayers and Best Wishes for SMOOTH FOALING for ZENNY and TASTY !!!
Hugs to all. Fondly, OraJean
casey
Dear Kari B’s daughter,
I have tears in my eyes for you, your family, and all the friends, “invisible” and realtime, whom you mother touched, with her kindness, beautiful spirit, strength, courage and love for our beautiful Queen. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult words.
Dear Zenny and Dottie,
Thank you for letting us know