Good Morning Everyone!
What a fabulous last few days it has been! I have been receiving so many letters, notes, calls, hugs and kisses! Your DIARY posts have been amazing! THANK YOU! I am still rejoicing in the announcement…
The 2010 HORSE OF THE YEAR
IS
ZENYATTA!
These words will echo in my mind FOREVER! What a beautiful way to cap off my RACING CAREER!
I wanted you to see the OFFICIAL CARD used that evening. When Alex Waldrop was standing on the stage…opening the envelope…then announcing…AND THE WINNER IS…THIS is the official card he was holding!
It is all still so exciting for me! My beloved TEAM was here visiting with me on Sunday and wishing me GOOD LUCK before going on to Florida. Pictures will come soon.
Then, the big night arrived! After the announcement, I was able to TANGO with MY TEAM. Everyone has been so, so kind.
On Tuesday morning when they called, I think the news finally began to SINK IN! Ann and Dottie were talking to me on the phone, and suddenly I KNEW WHAT ALL OF THIS REALLY MEANT! I am so, so proud! I began to dance and prance all around my paddock. Then SEA GULL and I began to do this free spirited gallop all around the field. It was truly a moment of great celebration!
Again, I want to really THANK ALL OF MY FANS for the huge role you have played in my career. As Dottie mentioned to several members of the press that evening, it was ALL of YOU who helped to keep everyones’ spirits so positive and encouraged as we traveled along this journey together! We truly can’t thank you enough! I really knew how much you were there for ME!
What a fabulous feeling this is! Reflecting upon everything that has happened to me during my entire racing career…this accomplishment is THE DIAMOND EXCLAMATION POINT after my name! It really makes my career feel complete!
As John told Dottie…”this entire experience during the last 4 1/2 years is positively a wonderful FAIRY TALE…and yet it really happened to us in our lives!” I think they are still ‘pinching themselves’.
To my dear, dear fans….Thank you for sharing this DREAM with ME…and ALL of TEAM ZENYATTA!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~
Z
Nancy/Ca.
Sitting here grinning,just told my husband Zenyatta is telling me how she felt when she found out she won HOY! Too cute! :) He’s not into racing so I loved seeing the day of the Classic he posted on Facebook that Zenyatta was a member of our family! :)
Kathryn Cogswell
Oops; #61. ‘When it rains . .. ‘
Jenna
What IS the process of selecting a mate for a horse like Zenyatta?
Cathy Polansly
What a great peace of paper with those 5 wards on it “HORSE OF THE YEAR ZENYATTA”!!! Oh so special for you and your team, I’m so happy for you and Team Z. what a great ride it has been over the pasted 4 1/2 years and I just came in on the end (darn it). I wish I would have gotten to see you race in person, what a sight that would have been for me, although I have seen you race on DVD, you take my breath away, you truly do. Have a wonderful day, with lots of love and Big Hugs.
Marlene
Yeah! Horse of the Year!!!! No one deserved it as much as you did! Congrats Zenny!
Mary Davies
And to you Zenyatta, for always trying so hard for all of us…and for keeping us close to your hearts! Love from our hearts to yours…
Dee
For Peggy! Hi! Do you have any pictures from when you met Indy? That is amazing..you are sooo lucky to have seen him in person. And, it would be a dream come true to see Zenyatta in person someday. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. With love to Zenyatta and her incredible team!
Lindy Deas
Congratulations !
I think this ‘fairy tale’ should become a movie !
How many times has a onderful female horse won so often and has been able to ‘talk’ to her thousands of fans ?
Souns like the making of a movie to me. One that is heartwarming and positive.
We all ove you….
L. Deas. Canada.
Heather Scott
WWWOOOOHHHHHOOOO!!! So happy Zenyatta is HOTY!!! Well deserved for the greatest race mare alive! Congrats to Zenyatta and Team Zenyatta!! :-)
Mary Margaret from Georgia
I love watching you in the snow. You and your girlfriends look like you are have a great time. Hugs & kisses to you Zenyatta.
Shoshana
LOVE!!! LOVE, LOVE LOVE!! This is what you make me feel every time I think of you….which is quite often. Thank you so much for sharing your life with us and we are all so proud of you for everything you have and will do!! I can’t wait to hear more and more about your new life too!
Diana_NV
When I saw a call coming into my cell Monday night, I knew … I picked up and said “she won!” and the caller confirmed. Then I screamed! We’re in the business, but we are also great fans, especially of great horses. The fans had some say in this, this time, and so they should. We are still pinching ourselves too. One of the greatest race horses I’ve seen in person in my lifetime, including Slew, Cigar, and Affirmed, has finally been acknowledged with the top honor. Congratulations to you and your team who have shown this country how to save this sport we so love!
Carrie
Thank you for sharing those typed words that we so wanted to hear! Congratulaions Zenyatta and everyone in Barn 55!
Jess
I miss you big girl!!! I have been watching many of John’s barn vids of you back at Hollywood park. I really hope that your first foal will go on to bigger and better things than you. But, you were a once and a lifetime gift from the one above. I love you girl. Me and my vet friends will be visiting you in Kentucky soon!!
Mariel
I feel so blessed to have been alive when you came along, Zenyatta. To be here when beautiful fillies like yourself & Rachel came along – I have just been thrilled to watch you every single time you ran! & your unique personality, dance steps & love of everyone around you just made you the most incredible being that I have ever seen on the racetrack. Have you ever wondered if you might some sort of racing goddess come down from Heaven to remind everyone what a wonder the sport of racing truly is?
Thank you for just being you, Zenyatta. Yes, you are a gift!
Monica
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You are the Horse of the DECADE.
Lori K
QUEEN ZENYATTA & TEAM Z, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 2010 HORSE OF THE YEAR! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE PICTURE OF THE OFFICAL CARD. THIS IS SPECTACULAR ZENYATTA. ZENYATTA, JERRY, ANN, JOHN, DOTTIE, MIKE, AND ALL OF TEAM Z THIS FAIRY TALE NEEDS TO BECOME A MOVIE. I LOVE YOU Z LOVE LORI XOXO…
Nancy
Such meaningful words in such a simple card. It couldn’t be more deserving to you, Zenyatta and your team. THank you again for giving us the joy of being a small part of your life.
Sandra Frey
So proud of you and your accomplishments! Cannot wait for the next chapter, beautiful! Love and blessings!
Paula McCaleb
Congratulations!! Zenyatta Horse of the Year 2010. I watched the whole show and I was on pins and needles til the very end when they announced your name. FINALLY…you got it! I felt you should have won it last year but we won’t go there. I’m so happy they finally honored you with this award. It’s the perfect ending to your fabulous racing career. I’ve been waiting for this day, now I can get the picture that says Zenyatta Horse of the Year 2010, frame it and hang it in our Bar with the other pictures. Way to go Zenyatta Team, congratulations to all of you!
Marilyn Edwards
Congratulations Lady Z and the fabulous Team Zenyatta. What a wonderful way to end a remarkable career….HORSE OF THE YEAR!! Looking forward to the first Baby Z!
Cheryl
YOU ARE THE HORSE OF THE CENTURY!!
Melissa
Thank you for all the wonderful memories of your fantastic racing career. We are so glad you spent another year racing so we could all witness your greatness. You are so deserving of this award. Thanks to Team Z for making you the horse of the year and the horse of the decade!!!
Richard
No horse in the history of horse racing ever deserved the honor more than you. What you and your team did for this sport is beyond words. The real shame is that you set the bar so high no one will ever approach it in my lifetime. I just wish we could see true greatness more than once or twice in our lives but that never seems to be the case. I am just so glad that I have lived to see a horse of your caliber and that I can carry the memories with me for the rest of my life.
Sally (B)
Dear Queen Lady Z and your special Z team; Because of all of you, I experienced the most incredible journey. I came to love you so Z, I knew nothing would change how I felt about you, win or lose the Classic, win or lose HOY. But, the truth is you earned it, you deserved it. I wanted it for you & Your team badly. Steve Haskin said it so well in his article “Older female Zenyatta in Another Romp” 1-18-2011 Imagine what you have accomplished!! HOTY-Hoorah!! There will never be another Zenyatta, when God made you, he broke the mold. I thank you all for sharing with us fans, this ride and continuing with this wonderful diary post. I am so proud of you. Love & a kiss
Paul
You are very deserving of the Horse of the Year award, Zenyatta. You have very nice owners and trainers. They are very dedicated to you and determined beyond belief to take care of you and look after your best interests. You had every right to run around with your buddies after you found out that you had won that award. How do you feel about people who thought Blame should have won horse of the year instead of you? Not to take anything away from him, but your record is 19-1 and you ran against better competition than the Blame supporters realize. I don’t know the whole story, but you are very deserving of the Horse of the Year award. It bears repeating.
Dotatupboaw
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