Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Z's Diary

Diary Post #183

HERE I AM…WITH SECRETARIAT! Photo by John Shirreffs

Happy Saturday!

Wow! David just returned from a one day business trip to CA (also saw Dottie and John for a fun visit) and said it was 80 degrees there. This weather thing never ceases to amaze me! It is a bit chilly here still in Lexington…but I feel I’ve acclimated beautifully!

I wanted to show the Secretariat image that they gave Dottie as a gift as well. Here John has me ‘jogging playfully’ right beside BIG RED! What a thrill!

John also took a photo of us…side by side. He put HIM a bit in front…just so you could see both of us. Both Dottie and John felt that they did a wonderful job with our images…and this is truly a special gift they were given. A great way to remember the EVENT!


All else is going very well for me! I have put on a few pounds, I’m getting so many sweet notes and cards from all of you, and I am enjoying my time with my friends. Yesterday, Don Robinson (the man who foaled me and raised me at his farm until I went to the Yearling Sale) and his family came to visit me again. He called Dottie and told her HOW FABULOUS I LOOK! Don’s comment to her was…”ZENYATTA IS JUST SO HAPPY. SHE LOOKS AMAZING….AND YOU CAN SEE SHE IS ONE VERY HAPPY HORSE ENJOYING HER NEW LIFESTYLE!”

In truth, I REALLY AM! David was telling Dottie that there are times when he and Michael Cline (from our farm) watch me when I’m playing in my paddock…and they literally see me “JUMP FOR JOY”. I REALLY DO! I literally JUMP UP IN THE AIR WITH ALL 4 OF MY FEET and PLAYFULLY LOOK AROUND!

I have so much fun when I do this! Dottie thought hearing this was so adorable. She told David…she could truly capture this image in her mind. Ironically, my dear friend, SOPHIE SHIRREFFS does this same type of thing. Dottie and John tease about it all of the time!

So cute! I guess Sophie and I really do have LOTS in common! We are 2 very blessed and fortunate ’4 Legged Friends’!

Smile…have a wonderful Saturday…and TAKE CARE! I hope you can encounter something fun today which encourages you to JUMP FOR JOY!

With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z

Reader Interactions

214 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Not a day goes by without me looking for your latest post and thinking about how much I love you–and I have never seen you in person! Your beautiful heart speaks loudly for you, Z–and charms us all. Secretariat was such a respected and amazing horse, but I don’t remember him receiving all of this love from fans. I saw him race in person several times at Belmont, and I regret that I never got to go west and see you. Now I have one question for you: WHEN WILL THE DOCUMENTARY OF YOU START FILMING???? Yours is a life for the ages, a horse for the ages, a horse like no other.
    Barbara from NJ

  2. / Reply

    Dear Z,

    Those models of you and Big Red are fabulous. We are so happy that you are feeling joy in your life at Lane’s End. We love you. Love to all of you. Judy and Russ

  4. / Reply

    Hi Zenny!!
    The first time I saw pictures of you JUMPING FOR JOY I got tears of joy! I knew then that you were truly happy!! XO
    During one of my last visits with you at Barn 55, you kicked your back legs and a piece of dirt went flying. I would have loved to have caught one of them! LOL
    I’m so happy for you, Zenny! :-)
    HUGS & KISSES XOXO

  5. / Reply

    Dear Z,
    PS:
    Our little poodle, Lola Mae, does the same thing. Jumping for joy like Sophie, all four feet off the ground. There’s such splendid honesty and genuine love in all of your beautiful hearts. Love you. Judy and Russ

  6. / Reply

    Dear Zen,
    It was a great post I read it over and over. You earned the joy in your life and when your foal comes you will teach it the joy of running and jumping. What a lucky group of humans to be near you and watch you every day.

  7. / Reply

    Love the statues and of course the diary post! Would love to see a video of Queen Z doing the “jump”. Do look forward to the diary posts each day – first thing I do when I come in. It’s much warmer in SC so it will be warmer in KY soon – you will want to jump for joy then!

  8. / Reply

    Thank you Zenny you made me smile today. I’m glad you are so happy. You & Secretariat look so beautiful together. You are one LUCKY horse. Have a wonderful weekend. So many visitors that helped make you who you are have been to see you this week. Spring is just around the corner!!!

  11. / Reply

    I love the pictures John took of you the little you and Big Red!!! I look forward to reading your diary every day!!!

  12. / Reply

    QUEEN Z … please thank Dottie and John for all these special pictures. Without them we would never see these special things. I, inparticular, feel very special to be part of your life. As much as I can being, that your a horse millions of miles from me. I do so enjoy the privledge of hearing about you everyday. Not all owners, trainers, consider the fans a part of their horses lives. You have the greatest humans around you ever. They “get it.” Hope you continue to have wonderful days with your pals. Look forward to hearing from you each day. Love ya big gal….Lou

  13. / Reply

    Now I feel great….got my daily dose of reading about you Z….love the posts…so much fun to read. It is so wonderful to see and know how happy you are. Happy Saturday to you Z….hugs to you.

  14. / Reply

    hey! zenyatta !!!!!!!!!!! i just wanted to tell you that i got a really cool license plate made and it says Zenyatta!! its ofr my car :) also could you pleesee tell me how i can send you stuff? i would realyu like to send u a nice card and treets :) if its okay thanks so much zenyatta i love you :)

  15. / Reply

    Zenyatta, I can say this for certain, YOU MAKE ME JUMP FOR JOY!!! (*_*) Are you missing California at all? YOU are a MOVING STAR and, of course, fit in so well. I know all your fans in CA. miss you. You have a great weekend and I will be waiting to hear from you. I LOVE YOU ZENYATTA!!! xoxoxoxo

  16. / Reply

    Not much to say except the photo today most fitting.In so far as I can see, there is nothing to compare you both were masters of your crafts and deserve all of the acalades that go with that. I don’t think I have seen horses who have had such a commanding presence as you two.Stay sound & healthy I want to see a brilliant foal earily next year. LOTS’O’LOVE & Happy Valentines Day Baby girl

  19. / Reply

    Hi Z! It is beautiful here in our part of CA too-a high of 70 today. Rain is coming on Monday so we are enjoying the next two days of spring like weather. Kate has a show next weekend-it is always in the rain, and she always has a cold on show weekend! You are so beautiful Z, and I wish we had more video of you jumping for joy except as soon as you see a camera you pose! You are just too cute!

  21. / Reply

    Zenyatta and Dottie, we would love to see more video of you and your buddies in the paddock — rolling, jumping, running, whinnying.

    So very nice that Don Robinson visited.

  23. / Reply

    @ Janie – I seriously didn’t know that Bernardini was a descendant of the great Secretariat. Interesting!

    Zenyatta + Bernardini = “Zenadini” :-) no matter then gender of the foal, that would be a suggestion for the name :-)

  25. / Reply

    Wow, those two together, sure shows, how much you resemble one another, the BIG RED and the Big Z or I should say The Queen Z, Go and have some fun, I would sure love to see that Jump, Im sure its all for the Joy of being Retired, hahaLOL

  26. / Reply

    Z I’m so happy for you. Your very very distant cousins in NV need help so very much right now. Inexplicably, BLM is rounding up so many wild horses with a pilot who is harassing your cousins in unbelievable ways. So hearing that your doing well is always a huge relief.

    Z will they ever take you to Washington DC to “speak” to Congress on behalf of the horses???? Your very distant cousins desperately need your voice.

    I do know in tb speak–that TJC recognizes “relationships” only through the dam. Still those distant cousins of yours speak the same language as you.

  27. / Reply

    The models are great! Two of the most beautiful horses to ever grace the planet. Sophie Shirreffs, I have a 13 year old boy, Ralphy, who is still jumping up and down. A great love of my love, just like you are to your Mom and Dad. Animals=God’s gift to mankind.

  29. / Reply

    A few people have been inquiring about the actual date of Zenyatta’s meeting with Bernardini.
    .
    I’m sure Dottie may explain something about that, but in the interim I’ll answer a bit about that if no one minds.
    .
    They won’t know Zenyatta’s exact breeding date until she gets quite close to it (within days most likely). It will all depend on her, her heat cycle and how her breedable follicles look. Where popular stallions are booked to 125+ mares (some 200+), their schedules often force them to breed 3 mares a day at the height of the season. For that reason, farms like to scan and palpate mares and breed them at the time when they have the very best chance of conceiving. This minimizes ‘use’ and ‘wear’ on the stallion if they only have to cover the mare once and by scanning and palpating mares vets try to pinpoint the very optimal time to breed them. That’s a science that’s come a long way in the last 30+ years.
    .
    Stallions used to cover books of 40-60 mares but often bred a mare more than once on the same heat cycle. By pinpointing the best time for breeding stud farms have been able to increase the amount of mares the stallions can breed in a season. More covers = more live foals = more stud fees = more money ;-)

  30. / Reply

    PS,
    .
    For anyone wanting a ‘statue’ of their own, look up Breyer Model horses on the web. They make models of both Secretariat & Zenyatta.

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