Good Morning, Everyone!
The BIG DAY has arrived!
Yesterday, I had my ‘mane pulled’ (groomed and thinned out) and hooves polished so I would look perfect for this ‘moment’! I rather suspected that it was getting close due to all of the attention I was getting. The vets were here during the morning checking me…to be sure my system was ready. Charles, Mike and Matt were at the barn helping me to learn some proper MAIDEN MARE Etiquette…so I would be totally prepared for this experience. MAIDEN MARE is the term used for a MARE who has never been bred before. That’s ME! All day…I had so much ATTENTION!
Then this morning at about 7:30, MY LIMO ARRIVED. A lovely SALLEE VAN was waiting outside the barn ready to take me to Darley. It is approximately a 10 minute ride to that farm from Lane’s End. Matt went with me on the van…and Charles and Michael Cline also went along. I guess it was decided that Bernie and I would be the last couple in the Darley breeding shed for this morning’s session.
Well, WE GOT RAVE REVIEWS! It all went very well. In horse terms, it was ‘one jump…and a very good cover’…meaning that everything went perfectly in our first meeting. Per the guys from my crew…”it was TEXTBOOK. ZENYATTA was unbelievably professional…especially for a maiden mare. It was all nice and easy and went PERFECTLY.” Oh, my guys…Mike, Charles, and Matt are TOO CUTE! They really love me! Blush-Blush!
I must say…Bernie was also extremely professional and very focused on his job! WE MAKE A GREAT COUPLE!
By 8:30…I was back in my LIMO with Matt going home to LANE’S END!
What a morning! Life has so many different kinds of experiences for one to explore and appreciate when the time is right for them to happen! Hooves crossed…..that this day, February 23rd, becomes VERY SPECIAL for me and my new role as a MOM!
I’ll keep you posted as we go along! I am so excited!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~(including Bernie!)
Z
Deborah Richman
What wonderful news, Zenny! Thank you for sharing it in your witty, inimitable way :)
@Ensign and L… I always learn so much from your posts and enjoy them very much. Thanks to both of you for all you contribute to this site.
Luvhorses
@Ensign
Not Linda B
The information people did not appreciate was
The confidential information you provided yesterday
On Z being bred yesterday. If you are a professional in
The horse business it is not appropriate to provide confidential
About your work to others. Perhaps that is why you will
Not tell us what farm you work at so you are not fired for it
There were at least 15 to 20 posters who told you to
Back off providing information that we should get from
Dottie and Z.
The information provided today was not a violation of
Confidentiality.
Maybe you can get the Private e-mail adresses of those you
Want to breach confidentiality to and leave it off
This site.
Skipping over it is not satisfactory. You are definately
Not a Z fan just some cocky guy who wants to be a
Big shot. Take it somewhere else!!!!!!
Mary McQuire
Since this site is such a positive one, I think we should all just ignore the posts we don’t like. The less said the better. Hopefully they will get the hint and take their ignorance, nastiness, or arrogance somewhere else.
Lori Stein
Congrats Big Z, hope you thought Bernie was cute!! Hopefully in 11 months from now the 2nd most beautiful horse will be born to this world(of course you are the most beautiful). I hope mom and dad have a very special name picked out for your 1st baby and I also hope he/she looks just like you. Mini me Z. Glad you’re home safe and sound now. Love Ya big girl. Tell mom and dad congrats on Cozi Rosie great win off a long layoff. Be hearing from you soon.
P.S. Will you still be able to go out to the paddocks and frolick with the girls? I sure hope so!!!
Cory Wellman
NOW WE WAIT FOR MORE IMPORTANT NEWS… That you are safely announced IN FOAL!!!!!
lanie J
Congratulations! We now begin a new era…thank all of those at Lane’s
End for the precautions and professional care…they have been excellent.
It is going to be exciting to wait and see…God bless all of you…I love you Zenny,still,here under the moon over Ky!
Linda from Vermont
OMG, Z and B together at last!! Can’t wait to see this baby! Please always keep us up to date.
lizzy
@Trina Nagele
Thank you for the link!!!! I’ve attached link again for those on here that missed. This is a great write up with really great insight by David Ingordo. A must read.
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http://eventingnation.com/home/2011/02/finding-zenyatta.html
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AND thank to all the other posters who have posted some REALLY insightful and educational info.
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Thank you again Dottie for all you do, much appreciated.
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LE any and all photos/videos are greatly appreciated. ;)
Cindy
Well, well! Congratulations, Zenyatta! Somthing told me you would be fine, and something was right! This was a very special day for you. Hopefully we’ll be hearing some fantastic news in a couple of weeks. Stay safe and happy, Zen!
And now…the waiting begins…
Cindy
Hi Ensign,
Don’t even pay attention to those silly comments. Skip over them. Many of us feel that, as wonderful as this site is, it’s even better with you on it! Thanks to L, as well.
L
@Luvhorses,
You’re taking this way too seriously and not in the vein of this blog at all. Zenyatta’s breeding plans were no great secret to anyone in the industry in Kentucky.
This is a place where Zenyatta’s gracious owners have a voice to do some good on the backstretch in her name. Some people have questions about the true nuts and bolts and some of us like to answer those questions. Some other people like to keep things more romantic and that’s fine also.
If you want to just hear from Dottie, then fine, just read Dottie’s words from Zenyatta’s mouth. I’m sure if Dottie begins to feel the comments are getting out of hand she will shut down the commenting section of this blog. As she hasn’t and we all mostly try to get alone and be considerate of each other then why get so angry as to call for someone to be fired?
That’s just mean spirited and definitely not the tenner of this community. :(
Cara
Zenyatta i bet u will b a great mom
L
Thank you to everyone who has taken a moment and said they enjoy the comments and information. :D
ENSIGN
@ Luvhorses,
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Gosh, we’re all so lucky to have you hear to moderate all our posts and to let us know just what’s appropriate and what’s not! Whatever would we do without you??
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Perhaps you would like to divulge who you are and where it is you work? Funny, but I haven’t noticed a rash of people on here just posting their personal information willy nilly. Didn’t know it was a requirement.
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I posted what I was told yesterday, and my post directly below stated I was waiting on CONFIRMATION, did it not?
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Rather than fight with you I’ll just say go ahead and take it up with the admin.
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I’ll let the rest get back to enjoying the site. This is a particularly important day in Zenyatta’s history.
Rosemarie Cola
Congrats Zennie!
I come to this blogg everyday to get my little peace of Zen. I’ve been dealing with losing a parent and another that is sickly so this is one place I know will make me smile. Here’s looking forward to another bit of happy news come 12 days or so from now!
linda
I wondered how Dottie would present her report of this big news – should have known she’d handle it with tact and charm.
Dani
Oh Zenny! I’m so happy everything went so well for you and Bernardini. I have to admit I was nervous for you, worried you wouldn’t have a ‘good date’. I think many of us have become mother hens of sorts when it comes to you. And that won’t stop. We just love you so much and want everything to be perfect and for you to be happy always.
…So you are now starting a new adventure. I’m sure you never imagined how much your life would change once you left the racetrack for the last time. But it’s all been a wonderful experience so you’ve told us and we are thrilled that you share all of it with us. I know we cannot say enough about how much we appreciate you and Dottie making us feel so close to you through these Diary posts. I think about all the people who love other horses and they hear virtually nothing about them once they’ve been retired. It shouldn’t be that way and hopefully things will change. Uncle Mo is a convert and a few other horses have Facebook pages so maybe owners really will come to understand how important it is to keep fans in the loop. We fall in love with certain horses because they are extraordinary on the racetrack and/or because they have certain personality traits that make them endearing. Those feelings don’t just go away because the horse is retired. So, thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Moss and Dottie and John for so completely understanding this and for keeping the fans number one and for making us feel so important in Zenyatta’s life.
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@Dottie – thank you for the gentle and sweet nature in which you handled Zenyatta’s ‘date’ with Bernardini. It was so enjoyable to read.
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@Sarah Campion – thank you for that absolutely gorgeous photo of Zenyatta and her bridle.
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@Steve Haskin – Thank you for the beautiful photo of Bernardini – he really is a handsome horse. It makes me think ahead to how beautiful their foal will be.
@QH Breeder – thank you so much for the link to the timeline. I found it very interesting and informative and I shall use it to keep an idea of how Zenyatta’s pregnancy should progress through the months to come.
@Dawn Conrad – I was so happy to hear of your good news. I so admire how positive and upbeat you remain through it all. You are an inspiration. :)
Christine
@lovehorses
Well said. Zen lovers want information so exciting to come from Zen & Dottie. Not a barn worker who does not respect his boss or what happens on the job. I would be FIRED if I did that.
Zen we love you and hope the GOOD NEWS comes ONLY from your TEAM.
Cynthia
I am so glad all went well for you and your handsome fella, Zenyatta! I am glad you have such a wonderful family that looks after you!
Linda in NJ
Hi Zenny: Oh my goodness!!! Congratulations!!! I am so happy to hear this news and to know that everything went smoothly. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind. First of all, you left to meet Bernie today, Tuesday, 2/23 at 7:30am, is that right? I am sure you looked beautiful. You must have been a little nerveous though. Just curious: did you have your own breeder or was it someone from Lanes End or Darley that oversaw you and Bernie? For instance, Eric Kronfeld was the breeder and oversaw your parents. Does each mare have their own breeder? When you left Darley, to return to Lanes End, did the day go about as usual. Meaning did you go out to the paddock and meet with your friends? And just one more thing, will you and your barn friends remain together, at least for awhile? Congratulations again Zenny. You will make a wonderful Mom!
Quarterhossgal
Congratulations Zenny, we’ll have to wait a couple weeks to see if all is well. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
Lynn….as far as foaling goes, I was lucky enough to be in the barn with my husband when one of my mares foaled. She was a maiden mare and delivered the foal in a few minutes , cleaned the baby was up on her feet eating hay within a half hour with the foal up nursing. I told my husband even though she delivered a 100 lb foal, she made it look easy!! Each foaling like each human birth is different
but much of the time foaling happens very
quickly. I’m sure Lane’s End has a wonderful staff that work in the foaling barns.
Cynthia A. Holt
Well done, Zenyatta. You are ever The Queen. I pray that all goes well with you.
Thank you, Dottie, for relaying the big news so promptly to all of Zenyatta’s many fans.
Mary R. Oakley
Congratulations. Here’s hoping for a healthy & successful pregnancy.
Pam
I’m glad that’s over. I was so worried that you’d be stressed with this new experience. But then, you always take things in stride. When will your girlfriends in the paddock be bred? Can’t wait to see all you expectant mommies in your field.
Tj Stroben
But does he know who YOU are??? Congrats!
sg
Congrats Z! So happy to hear things went well for you.
**** ****** ***** ***** *****
Like others have mentioned on here already, please Z Lovers, do not feed the trolls. They eventually will go away….
ENSIGN
@ L,
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Thanks for saying more tactfully what I was looking to express :-) I know there are a number of posters on here I get a lot of enjoyment from, be they those who post questions, or those who answer them. The site is supposed to be fun, is it not? Shame there’s always got to be crabby people, and those who wish to control what everyone else does.
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I must say I *am* rather amused by some of the speculations as to my location and job.
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Back to Zenyatta….. ;-)
LouAnn Cingel of Union, Missouri
Zenyatta & Bernardini-love at first sight! Sounds like you had an exciting time and now you have lots to talk about with your galpals in the paddock. Keeping fingers crossed-and the love story of the year continues!
Love & Blessings to you Zenyatta
barbara
oh zenny! i am so glad it went well.
i was worried that it might be a stressful moment for you. i should have know as dignified as you are, that being covered wouldn’t ruffle your feathers at all.
won’t your girlfriends be excited for you!! as we all are. love you,
thank you dottie!
Lisa T
So happy to hear everything went well Zenyatta. How long before we know if you are pregnant? So excited for you!!! Much love, hugs and kissess to you Queen Zenyatta. We all love you so very much.