HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE TO EVERYONE!
Today is a FUN DAY! I usually go out to the paddock at about 7 in the morning. Now the ground is a bit snowy…and even a bit muddy in spots. When I first get turned out, I really play and run hard. It is fun to stretch my legs and all after a night’s rest. I have started to do this new thing…for me…and that is roll on my back on the ground. I did it in the snow the other day. Dottie teased me that I was making Zenyatta Snow Angels. Then yesterday…it was a bit muddy and I was able to roll in the mud! I have NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE that I can remember. It was GREAT FUN!
Sarah is going to try and get to Lane’s End early to get some footage of me doing this for you. It will be on FACEBOOK. Janie, you do not have to be a FACEBOOK member to go to ‘my’ FACEBOOK page. On the opening page of my Zenyatta.com site, there is a FACEBOOK SYMBOL in the upper right hand portion. Just hit this…and it will take you to my page…and my page only. Then hit WALL…and there you are! We put this here especially for people who are not on Facebook. This way, everyone can still follow my escapades and keep in touch!
Last night, I got to TANGO with John and Dottie right before I went to sleep. This morning, BARN 55 is going to TANGO with me right after training. I can’t wait to visit with all of them again! Ann and Jerry will call later in the morning as well. I LOVE THIS! I CAN PERSONALLY WISH ALL OF MY CA FAMILY…HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE and HAPPY 2011! WHAT FUN!
I have so much to be grateful for at this time…and reflecting on 2010…I do realize what a fortunate horse I am.
I totally appreciate ALL who have cared for me and loved me…EVERY STEP OF MY JOURNEY. It was not always easy…even though my TEAM made it look that way. I love each and every one of YOU…and deeply appreciate the time, love, care and respect you have shown me every single moment of my life.
As for my wonderful, wonderful FANS, what can I say? I have been blessed. I have tried very hard to do my best and add honor, dignity and LOTS of FUN to my sport! You have cheered me on, supported me, and wished me well. I have had fun meeting you and watching you have a great time. It was wonderful to see people from all over the country fly in to meet me. I also loved the fact that so many of YOU have made friends with each other…and are now bonding, going to different racing venues together, and sharing the beauty of THIS SPORT.
IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO SHARE MY LIFE, MY CAREER AND MY ADVENTURES WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!
Some of you have asked how I’m spending New Year’s Eve. Well, my girlfriends and I will be outside playing for a bit…then come in and have a great dinner…toast with a bit of Guinness…and visit. Usually about 7 in the evening, we are all ready to relax and have ‘lights out’.
After all, we really need our BEAUTY SLEEP tonight. January 1st is our ‘joint’ birthday! Each of us will turn a year older tomorrow morning. I’ll be ‘technically’ 7! Good thing I exercise and keep in shape!
May we all be blessed to have a wonderful NEW YEAR ahead of us…filled with lots of GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND NEW ADVENTURES!
I know in 2011, I will definitely have many ‘new things’ going on! I’m so excited! I hope to be able to share all of them with YOU!
One more thing…PLEASE BE SAFE tonight and always!
With Love,
Hugs to all~
Z
Valeria Cannon
Happy New Year Lady Z, PQ, Team Z1 and Z2! And to all the fans/friends far and wide, may 2011 be a safe, healthy, and happy year for us all. Also, Happy Birthday Lady Z and PQ, to all your barnmates (even Kitty, if he wants to celebrate), and to TB’s everywhere! May this new year bring health,joy, and happiness to you all. May you always make snow angels and roll in the mud!
Love
Valeria
Cynthia Ann H.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and HAPPY OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY, Queen Z! May 2011 bring you and your wonderful connections all of the joy which you richly deserve! As we close the book on 2010, we will be eternally grateful for the cherished and thrilling memories with which you have left us.
Quarterhossgal
Roberta…my geldings took your horse’s advice yesterday when we had a high of 62 degrees. I don’t believe there is any mud left to roll in, it is all over them. I must add it was 62 for one hour and it began dropping it is now 8 degrees so too cold for a bath, just deep brushing and vacuuming. We spend New Year’s Eve with other horse owners so we can,of course, talk horses! My horses and all their friends will celebrate tomorrow with carrots, apples but no Guiness, that is reserved for Queen Z. Team Z west and Team Z Kentucky thanks you for sharing Zen with all of us. Z, you are a beautiful 7 year old, covered with mud or not!
Shirley Nolan Al-mlaiti
HI ZENYATTA,
Before I leave to have a bit of cheer I had to wish my favorite Lady A Happy AND Blessed New Year 2011 ..What a great post today you said the right things at the right time…I enjoyed Can’t wait for the new video of you rolling in the mud , my horses do it all the time then.. wait for it to dry and use the shedding blade to get the mud off, gives a great back rub , try it sometime , my horses love it …Have a great evening even thou it ends at 7 ..too early.. Hope you have a Birthday party with the girls tomorrow everyone gets older…nighty, nighty….LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU
Jamie
Have a happy and properous new year in your new career as a mom. Much Love to you and the Zenyatta team.
nancy in nj
A wonderful new year filled with health and happiness to you, dear Zenya, and to your beloved Team Z. Thanks so much to them for allowing us to feel as though we are a part of this miraculous mare’s life. Happy Birthday, Z, to you and all your barn buddies! Seven, huh? You certainly don’t look a day over three! Roll on!!! (to Sue Ann: condolences on the loss of your dear Pebbles.)
Mary Check
Happy New Year Queen Z and a Happy Birthday as well. My horses, Simon and Rock Star, will receive birthday treats tomorrow as they each turn a year older. Remember – we’re not getting older…we’re getting better! Love you! God Bless you throughout 2011…
Paula Higgins
Happy New Year to Zenny, Sophie, Jerry, Ann, Dottie, John, Mario, Carmen and everyone at Barn 55. Can’t wait for the “rolling in the mud/snow” video LOL. I am very glad she is having fun in her new life.
Margy
Team Z has done a marvelous job with Queen Z. Thanks for 6 thrilling years of racing, and for keeping Zenyatta sound, unlike so many great fillies and mares who came before her.
I look forward to reading her diary. It’s great! I’ve always wondered what takes place after a superb racehorse leaves the track. And, now I know.
It’s hard to imagine that Ann and Jerry Moss could ever top this year, even with a Kentucky Derby winner and being inducted in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. But, if anyone deserves this success and more to come, it’s both of you. So, happy new year to the best owners in thoroughbred racing – bar none!
And, best wishes for a wonderful 2011 for the rest of the fabulous Team Z members.
Teresa
Zenyatta,huge fan ;) I adore you,and so do all of my friends,you are usually the topic of our little talks lol,But I save every article about you in a word document,and I have been doing so since October,It is in very small font,but it has reached 277 pages and 103,181 words. You and your jockey are my heroes :) I hope one day I am blessed enough to meet you and him,I would porbably die hehe
~Thanks for all the wonderful Times,and all the ones to come
Jackie
Happy New Year to you and all involved. There would be no Zenyatta without the Mosses, John, Dottie, Steve, Mike, Mario, Carmen and all your new friends at Lane’s End.
May this year be filled with GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND GOOD FORTUNE FOR ALL. Thank you everyone associated with Queen “Z” for giving the public a glimpse of your world. It is one special place.
Can’t wait to see you rolling in the snow. An Angel making a snow Angel!
Stay warm and a VERY VERY HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR TO ALL.
Hugs and Kisses
Marion
Happy New Year Zenyatta and have a wonderfull Birthday tomorrow
I wish you and your friends and family the best for 2011
Love and hugs
Nancy
I am so glad you finally got to roll in the mud. My gray horse always find the dirtiest spot in his paddock to roll. People say he does it so he can be brownish like the rest.
I also made friends with another Zenyatta fan when I came to Hollywood Park last June. She and I stood at the walking ring for about 3 hours before your race so we would be in the front row to see you. She and I chatted the afternoon away as we waited. I had my camera and took about 30 pictures of you and she had a sign she had made
Edie Dickenson
Zenny, I just finished reading The Legend of Zenyatta. It was terrific, and I sure understand where Ann was coming from with The Plan for you to live at their home! Happy New Year, Zenyatta. And Happy Birthday to you too! I love you so much! Edie
Linda / NJ
Hi Zenny: Happy New Year to you and all of Team Z in CA and KY. Thank you for all the memories you have given us in 2010. I am so happy that you came along in my lifetime. It has been a real privilege to follow the career of a real champion! Thank you Team Z: Mr. & Mrs. Moss, John and Dottie, Mario and Carmen, Mike Smith, Steve Willard and all those that work behind the scenes keeping you safe and healthy throughout your racing career. Special thanks to Dottie for working with you to bring us these posts. As we ring in 2011, Happy Birthday to you, Zenyatta and to all your barn buddies. We look forward to hearing and reading more stories as your journey continues at Lanes End.
I follow your posts every day. However, I feel like I must have missed something. According to the notes from some fans, it appears that Lanes End may be debating whether we can come to see you? I sure hope not. That would be very disappointing. They have said all along that visitors would be allowed. In fact they said that the dates would be posted on your website. I hope they haven’t had a change of mind. Again, Happy New Year to everyone! Be safe tonight. With so much love! Love, Linda
Ensign
@ Ingrid in MA,
I saw the Zenyatta special in the Blood Horse. NO POSSIBLE WAY she’ll be bred to Kitalpha. Kitalpha does not stand at Lane’s End, he stands at War Horse Place and is a full brother to Kingmambo who stood at Lane’s End.
He was standing in Africa before coming to Kentucky. At this point in his stud career, he is NOT a 1st rate stallion, nor the type of stallion a mare like Zenyatta would be bred to.
His placement in the special is simply smart advertising on his farm’s part. What better way to promote your young stallion than to pay for the ads on the inside & outside covers of a Zenyatta special? Simple as that.
I agree that she’ll go to Indy for atleast one or two cycles. If she fails to catch the big question will be where do they send her from there. Indy is pretty much a guarantee as long as he’s fertile this year.
Helen & Guido
Happy New Year Z! Maybe you should package the mud and sell it as Z55 special skin formula! Hoping to hear about visiting you in the Spring.
z4ever
Happiest new year Z, Z family and Z fans. I used to wonder how Man O’ War, Seabiscuit, and Secretariat joined and lifted so many. Now I know.
maryann
Dear sweet Z, Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!!!! I know 2011 will be filled with new adventures. I am so happy you are enjoying your new life. Happy New Year to all of your family
love you Z
Robbie Pfeufer Kahn
Dear Zenyatta: “I do realize what a fortunate horse I am.” This is what I love about you and your Team Z. No one ever forgets that you are a horse, even if both sides have crossed the human/animal boundary I spoke of in earlier posts (before I stopped b/c I was spending inordinate amounts of time writing to you).
Examples of the crossings are abundant–in the recent video you and P.Q. graze peacefully and then begin to walk along together. P.Q. veers off slightly to the right of the human recording these moments. You look in P.Q.’s direction as if to say a small goodbye for now or perhaps to make a choice. Then you amble amiably toward the human. More crossings–imagine that Ann Moss loves you so much that she wanted you to live in the back yard; that the Mosses and Sheriffs see and talk to you daily (hopefully Mario and his wife as well) via something that sounds like a webcam; “The Legend of Zenyatta,” deservedly a prize-winning article, showed through wonderful narrative and quotes just how much your Team Z loves you. What 60 year-old man would have a picture of you on the back of his iPad?
Then there is the matter of mutual generosity–you made Moneighs for ReRun and perhaps other organizations that help discarded racehorses find homes (I’ve watched TVG a bit having learned the station number so that I could watch your farewell at Hollywood Park) and it looks like a rather grim life ahead for many of the horses I saw who weren’t winners–I had no idea how much racing goes on all over the U.S. let alone the world, so your charity was a great kindness; then the Zenyatta Lounge for women horse workers (is it at Santa Anita?) with a big picture on one wall of, as you put it, “ME!” I love the way you capitalize your self-references. You have a right to be proud! Most recently (I may have missed a generosity even more recent), the ineffably touching plaque on your bridle, which allowed Marjorie to accompany you on your last (I believe it was) race; think also of your real part in these generous actions because you have earned the money to fund them–that’s real female independence!
Such unusual crossings, to say nothing of the great kindness you’ve shown toward your fans, both those who’ve been fortunate to meet you and those, like myself, who know you through media, websites, Facebook (how thoughtful to allow those of us who don’t use Facebook to see what you post there). And Zenyatta, although intellectually I know that I am anthropomorphizing (attributing human characteristics to nonhuman animals) at the same time I believe in my heart that the Diary Posts are YOUR words expressed with Dottie’s help. More literature comes out just about daily regarding the deep emotions and intelligence animals possess (one example–Marc Bekoff’s “The Emotional Lives of Animals”). Those of us who live in the company of animals know about the emotional and cognitive intelligence of animals without having to read books about it. So I will say, from my heart, that you have a distinctive literary voice, Zenyatta! Distinctive and worthy of publication some day.
Now, back to you being a horse. As I said, neither you nor your Team Z ever forgets that you are a horse. John Sheriff checks your legs on his recent visit, one of the most vulnerable parts of a racehorse (imagine 1200 beautiful pounds, in your case, supported on those slender long legs!); Mario Espinoza knows exactly where to “nuzzle” your shoulder. Most exciting of all, you have learned the equine delight of rolling in the MUD! Not only that, but the humans are happy for you rather than disgruntled because caked mud is no fun to groom out of a horse’s coat, much less out of a winter coat.
Well, dear Zenyatta, my Labrador retriever has not had her dinner, nor have I had mine much less done my exercises. This neglect of daily life occurs whenever I am overcome by a desire to write to you. Please forgive the length of my posts. As I said in my very first response to your Diary Posts, I am a writer and professor who has published two books (I have to copy you and not be shy to say these things about “ME”) and those two activities seem to go along with long utterances. As I mentioned in my first post, I plan to retire from teaching this spring, and am frightened because I have no new book in mind. Somehow your Diary Posts have released a flood of words. Thank you for bringing my writing self to life again.
And my riding self. I cannot bear to be away from horses (due to a sprained ankle) one more minute because of you. So tomorrow on New Years Day, I plan to go riding on Lucy, a registered Quarter horse (at my age and given that due to RA I cannot fit into boots nor use stirrups, I ride on a suede saddle pad. What a challenge and utter delight to be so near to the warm back of the horse). Quarter horses, I learned from my teacher, are those quiet horses who lead you high-spirited Thoroughbreds to the starting gate before a race. In your absence, I simply must caress Lucy no later than tomorrow, breathe into her nostril, feel her sweet hay breath come into mine, and feel relaxing four-footed gaits (I’ve just begun cantering!). We are going up into the woods and meadows where there is, at present, much snow.
Goodbye, then, for now dearest Zenyatta. A very Happy New Year to you and your Team Z and the people at Lane’s End who care for you so well.
Much love and respect–Robbie Pfeufer Kahn
Terri Dixon
Happy New Year, Zenyatta.
How did you let everyone know you liked Guinness?
Cathy
HAPPY NEW YEAR Z WE LOVE YOU AND WANT TO COME SEE YOU AT LANE’S END
Cheryl
Happy New Year Zenyatta! You are so incredibly wonderful I just love you so much! Did you know sweetie, that in the spring, when your winter coat starts to shed – you will roll on your back in the new grass and OH it will feel so fantastic for you!! Have you done that before? I dont know how much of the regular horsey stuff you have done while you were in training. All my best wishes to you and Team Z for 2012!
Carolyn McFall
Thanks to the Z-Team for keeping us in the loop regarding Zenyatta. The horsey press will surely have a void to fill in 2011.
Happy Birthday to Z, and Happy New Year to the Team, on both coasts. You are the best!
richard schwarz
Stay healthy sweetheart!! Happy New Year
Phyllis James
Happy New Year! It’s so wonderful to keep abreast of what you are doing with these posts. Please keep it up. Happy New Year to the Mosses, John, Dottie, and all those who are part of your team.
TZ
Have a happy and Healthy New Year Zenyatta! I hope you are really enjoying life at Lanes End. And may both your teams in CA and Ky have a Healthy, Happy and safe New Year as well.
TomZ
sharon shepherd
Happy New Year Zenyatta! and to the wonderful people in your life here in Ky and in Ca.We all love you so much ..you are so special, the world is a better place because of you …you are love ,peace and joy.
Maggie Murphy and Nancy Lauer
God bless you Zenyatta – in 2011 and always. You are pure JOY in motion!!!
OraJean Stevenson
Dear Queen-Z & Team-Z & Team-Zentucky,
What a lovely Diary-entry you gave us today !!! We are the LUCKIEST fans in the world !! HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. You are the Best, and I really appreciate everything you do…true CLASS and ROYALTY !! Fondly, OraJean