Good Morning,
As I mentioned to you earlier, John took some great photos of the Santa Anita Celebration on February 5th. Here is one he especially liked…Mrs. Chenery, her daughter, Kate, Ann and Dottie…all celebrating the moment!
What an honor it is to have MY ANN and DOTTIE enjoying this day and the entire experience of the Secretariat Award with Mrs. Chenery and her daughter, Kate! A moment to remember and cherish forever! I know MY TEAM will!
John also got a close photo of the trophy that has been designed for this AWARD for you to see. My Team received the first one…but it will be used from this point forward to honor the occasion. The artist is holding it.
I often think about the fact that there are LOTS of people out there doing LOTS of GREAT WORK every single day!
In this month of Valentine’s Day…I am sending a special HUG to all of you. I know sometimes things aren’t easy….and you have to really dig in to get certain things and goals accomplished…but you keep trying hard and working diligently until you get it DONE! I KNOW…I’VE HAD TO DO THIS IN MY CAREER AS WELL. In the end, one hopes the hard work and effort proves to be worth it!
So…on a personal note from ME to ALL OF YOU…KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! People do notice! I can definitely state this from my personal experiences!
With Love,
Hugs to all~
Z
sg
^^^^^
*somehow
Barbara Wood
@Jenna–I’m surely no expert here, but I do remember an article on thehorse.com website a long time ago that tested memory on horses. It seems to me (and I’m a senior, so my memory could be suspect!) that a horse who had to “nose” one of several circles to get a treat repeated the behavior from a similar test 10 years earlier, remembering the correct “answer”. They know way more than we give them credit for. I always feel sorry for people who just consider horses, dogs, etc. “dumb animals”. I LOVED Ann Moss’s comment about these wonderful “beings who just happen to look like horses”!
As far as the response to Mike, our Zenny was clearly in “treat mode”, and horses have different moods as well as we do. Makes me feel better about when our Money comes with his “gimme, gimme, gimme” lips! LOL.
Love you always, Z, and everyone on this site who loves you as well.
Leslie R.
Hi Zenny, thank you for the hug. I needed it today. I hope you get many hugs today too!
Thanks for sharing the pics with us!
Love & hugs to all,
Leslie
christine
@NANCY
Good point but I still think that depending on your interaction responses are different. Zen does love her pard Mike you can see that. Sometimes when you go away for a time it takes time to warm up again…Only Zen knows.One thing that made Zen so special is that she was touched by at least 15 different people a day. Makes her a people’s horse for sure.
Robin
Hi Zenny! Thank you for the pics and the updates. Love my daily fix of you and the TEAM!! Hope you are having a great day big girl. Stay safe & warm! MUAH!! XOXO
Margaret
Thanks Z. I really needed to hear those words again.
Hope things are well for you and that you are enjoying the good life. You deserve all the good things. Waiting to hear about your first date and all the particulars!
Hope that if some pics are taken (in good taste obviously) they are posted. Would love to see the look on Bernardini’s face when he first meets you!
Tracey - Ottawa, ON Canada
Happy Valentines Day to you Zenyatta! Hope you get a special beer and mints because you are sweet!! Happy Valentines to Jerry and Ann as well, as they still must be beaming with smiles from receiving such an outstanding award
Cheryl Smiith
We love you and appreciate All YOUR HARD WORK! You, as the song goes, Are Simply The Best!!!!!
Naomi Parry
Zenny, We here at Maryland Therapeutic Riding so appreciate your positive and uplifting messages! We especially love today’s posting. There are lots of people doing great work, just like you said, and many of them work as volunteers here at MTR! You and your TEAM are an inspiration to us! Thank you!!!! You are a wonderful role model for us humans!
Janet Cutting
HI Zenny and All: Good opinions out on the site– Lets be open minded to all comments. Ok, I also was wondering about Z and how her relationship with her human friends might change— will having a baby or being with her new mare friends draw her more into being with horses and people not so much anymore– @Ensign or @L for an opinion– also, thanks Barbara W for your thoughts.
Gloria
And a great big hug (and kiss) to you, Big Mama Z! I still wish I coulda had a group hug with your family and Mrs. Chenery on Saturday. BUT! I’m still on cloud nine from that day. Love seeing John’s photos from that day. It was a great one!!
Ingrid in MA
Great photos,Zenny! Thanks Dottie and John for posting them! As for the whole Zenny/Mike thing, if you watch the video on FB, notice how Zen is curled around Mike waiting for her mints. Sure,she was wanting her treats, but she had her nose in his coat pocket! If she had “bad” memories of Mike,no matter HOW many mints he had,she wouldn’t have gone to try and take them herself.
Someone made the dog analogy. I too am the “disciplinarian” of my 2 5 yr. old yellow labs, and someone else feeds them. If my dogs had to choose between myself and their feeder, they would choose ME hands down. Yes, they get the discipline with me, but I’m also the fun-bringer – the walks,the car rides,the toys,the playing. I would say it’s more a respect thing than a “healthy fear” they have of me. They know that if they treat me with respect, I’m going to be nice and give them the world (my furbabies are spoiled rotten!). Screw up, I’m going to shut it down – with kindness and respect,never cruelly. And once the reprimand is given, I get my well-behaved babies back,and they get what they want again. In fact, I have one dog sitting on my feet right now at the computer,pressed up against me because he can’t get close enough to me. If he could be in my lap,he would be. He doesn’t act this way with the person who feeds him – at least not to this extent. they love my parents (the feeders), but they’d rather be with me – the pack leader.
Same goes for the middle school kids I teach. They learn that if they want respect from me, they have to give it to me first. You treat me with respect, I’ll treat you the same. From me,they learn that I don’t “OWE” them respect, it’s something you EARN from me. And at the same time, we can still have fun in my class (I sing, I do character voices). But I’m not going to let them get away with murder like the teachers that complain about how wild they are do. They all say it’s because I’m “young” that I have such good control over them. That has nothing to do with it,really. I give back what I get – they give me attitude,they get attitude,and no fun. I get respect, they get respect. And everyone gets some fun learning.
Animals and kids are great sensors about people. I trust my dogs’ opinions about people. They know who’s “good” and who isn’t. Same can be said for horses and any other animal. You just have to see how relaxed our Zenny is around Mike to know she likes him. Remember – Mario,Carmen, John,etc., spent 7 days a week,lots of hours a day with Zenny. Mike saw her for a couple of days a month for prep/racing.
Don Martello
Two GREAT horses and wonderful people connected with them!!
Cynthia A. Holt
You taught us lessons in consistency and persistence in your first 19 races, and the rigorous demands which the quest for perfection entails. Your 20th and final race was a lesson in courage and nobility. You had no “quit” in your makeup. You received all humans with patience and gentleness, and were non-judgemental in your attitude towards all. We would do well to emulate your sterling qualities. You were and are the true definition of the word, “Thoroughbred.”
Rachel Fabrizi
Thanks Zenny I needed that today. Love you!!
Sue Fredrick
Wow Zen, you now wax philosophical! Now I know what I suspected all along….you’re a person in a horse’s body, even your Mom Ann made reference to it. I loved seeing you with adorable Mikey, the only thing better would be if it was me planting a big smooch on that big nose of yours. I’m coming down in April for Keeneland and I fully intend to see you even if its from the road by your pasture…. I’ll call your name and you run to the fence, okay? Also my friend and I sent a Valentine surprise for you and the girls and please share with my guy…Indy. Luv and kisses on the nose
Lisa g
@Kennedy’s n San Diego: Thanks for the article, it was great.
Lisa g
Ms Zenyatta, thank you for the photos, they are wonderful. Happy Valentine Special Special Hugs to you as well. I love your hugs….I love you…Lisa g
Sharon Call
@Cynthia A. Holt. So very, very well said. We would all do well to follow that particularly the part about being non-judgemental in her attitude towards all. Let’s all think about what we’re writing here before we hit that post button. Squabling never gained anything except hurt feelings. Let’s follow Zenyatta’s example, since we are all here because we love and admire her. Just my thoughts on this.
Trish & Mike in Colorado
Just re-looking at the St. Trinians’ race on TV — just took our breath away as Zenyatta beat her with little puffs of smoke and fire and sparks coming off Zenyatta’s hooves although she made it look so easy, gathered up in herself. The crowd even applauded St. Trinians because the latter really ran her heart out!
Ellen Aachary
there ya go, gettin’ me all misty again, Z! A wonderful honor from the Chenerys to Team Zenyatta…and like you, racing royalty! Thanks for the inspiring words…I often ask myself…What would Ms. Zenyatta do? Just like you said…ya gotta dig in…lovies to all of Team Z…
Sharon in Seattle
Ann Maree – I couldn’t agree with you more. Team Zenyatta has always been the epitome of grace and dignity, all of which is heart-warming and inspirational. I’ve got a photo on my Zenyatta wall at home of Mike Smith leaning against Zenyatta, right after removing his jockey’s gear after the BC. Looking at the photo, you can just imagine him whispering to Zenyatta his final thoughts in her last race, something like “we’re weren’t first tonight Zenny, but you’ll always be first in my heart”.
Peyton
Zenny, thanks for the HUG!! We really need it here to try to stay warm! Thanks for all of your posts!! We all know how hard you have worked to have accomplished all you have!! If all of the humans in this world had your work ethic, just think what we could accomplish!! Happy Valentine’s Day to our favorite horse of all time!!
Celeste
Thank you for sharing the wonderful photos and the words of inspiration. Beautiful!
elizabeth Abbott
Happy Valentines Day to Zenny and her team and to Mrs. Chenery as well. Mike Smith, you are included in the team. God bless you all. You have been a blessing to a lot of lives. What an uplifting time we have had thorough your accomplishments. Thank you Team Zenyatta for sharing this wonderful horse God has created.
LouAnn Cingel of Union, Missouri
Such a wonderful Lady Z team you have Zenyatta! And your trophy is beautiful and so glad that you got to be the first recipient of the award and from Mrs. Chenery herself-now how special is that?
You have been such an inspiration to me Zenyatta and you have given me hope when I thought there was nothing left and you have instilled in me once again the faith that I had thought I had lost. You have done so much for me Zenyatta and you will always be my number 1 horse!
Love & Blessings to you and your family!
Megan S
Oh Z~! We send hugs back to you baby!
Bkaye
A fitting reward to a national treasure.
Jane in Seattle
Hello Beautiful!
Speaking of your career, I happened to pick up a paperback book of Dick Francis’ called Banker (I think all his books are horse-themed) and this one turned out to have a lot of the action on a stud farm. Although it’s in England and not in the U.S. I imagine it’s more the same than different. It does explain very clearly how soon horses come back in heat after they foal, and when they are normally bred again. In this novel, pregnant mares are sent to the next sire’s farm so the foals won’t have to travel when they are tiny, and the mares are ready to be bred again. Is that what will happen with Zenny? Will her baby not be born at Lane’s End unless they choose a sire from there? There is so much to know, it turns out, that I had never thought about, even though I used to have horses. In this book (I haven’t finished it yet) the villain is giving the mares selenium to cause their foals to have birth defects, and destroy a stallion’s career. I always thought you gave horses beer for extra selenium. Zenny, cut back on the Guinness while we think about this, will you? I guess it’s a good thing you’re at Lane’s End after all, where they know all these things. Nothing but the best for the Queen. Happy Valentine’s Day beautiful, and to all your loving family and friends. And don’t forget to take a look at Boys at Tosconova’s FaceBook page, and see his Valentine profile pic. Not as beautiful as you, but TOO CUTE.
Bkaye
Perfect name for zenyattas offspring….Mondatta.