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Lane’s End Video Interviews: Part 2

Happy Friday!

We’re back today with the second installment of our video interview series. This time we’re featuring Donna Vowles, Assistant Broodmare Manager at Lane’s End. She spent some time with us talking about her responsibilities and experience at Lane’s End, including the night Zenyatta foaled.

Donna Vowles: Assistant Broodmare Manager
“I was born in Birmingham, England and spent the majority of my childhood between Birmingham and the neighboring countryside of Worcestershire. My obsession with horses developed around the age of six or seven when I hounded my Dad for riding lessons. From the very first time I got to muck a stall and groom a horse I was hooked for life!

My career began at a young age working and instructing at a riding school, before moving onto managing a Three-day Event yard. I started working with Thoroughbreds professionally in 2002 after a training season in Newmarket.

Kentucky became my home in January 2004 when I first joined the Lane’s End Team. My job title now is Assistant Broodmare Manager and a large part of that role consists of ensuring the health and happiness of all the broodmares and their foals here at Lane’s End, including Zenyatta and her colt.”

Z and Baby Z both love a good scratch! Photo by Alys Emson/Lane's End.

Have a great weekend!
-Team Z

Reader Interactions

335 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Thank you LE for the second installment. Love the new photo. Mom and Baby look great. love ya Z and baby Z
    Nice to meet you Donna

    • / Reply

      Dear Lanes End,
      Love this video, Donna is a very special part of your team. Love Zenny teaching
      12 Zenyatta how to scratch. He hasn’t returned on back yet, but I am sure that
      it will be a wonderful day when he gives mom a “scratch”. Horses so love scratches.

      XXXXOOOOO

  2. / Reply

    Thanks once again Lane’s End for the video. What a professional and excellent staff. 12Z is growing in leaps and bounds. Can you post a picture of Tasty’s foal. Have a good weekend to all.

  4. / Reply

    I would scratch YOUR back any day Great One! And Little Great One!

    Baby Z is gettnig SO BIG! Am I reading his coat accurately? It looks like he is darkening up from the head and neck down toward his trunk. Is that correct? Is he going to be the same color as Mom? I hope so! I think Daddy B is not quite as dark as Mom.

    Jeanie

  7. / Reply

    CALLING ALL Z’ISTERS
    HAPPY FRIDAY TO EVERYONE! I AM SO GLAD THE WEEKEND IS UPON US.

    I JUST CHECKED THE ‘THERMOMETER’ ON THE VALLEY VIEW RANCH EQUINE RESCUE SITE AND MARLENE IS NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY TO THE TOTAL FUND-RAISING GOAL NEEDED TO RESCUE THE FALLON (NEVADA) FIVE FROM THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

    WE HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY TO HELP OUT WITH THIS, SO I HOPE ANY OF YOU WHO HAVEN’T CONTRIBUTED YET AND WHO ARE ABLE, WILL DO SO, WILL HELP. TO CONTRIBUTE, GO TO http://www.valleyviewranchequinerescue.webs.com.

    FOR THOSE OF YOU OLD-TIMERS TO THE RESCUE EFFORTS WE HAVE HELPED WITH IN THE PAST, LITTLE CLOUD’S BIRTH IS IMMINENT! REMEMBER HIM? WE HELPED RESCUE A LITTLE HERD OF PREGNANT MARES AROUND THE TIME THAT WE WERE ALL MOURNING THE SADNESS OF LOSING CLOUD MAN. WE FELT THAT NAMING ONE OF THE UNBORN FOALS IN THE RESCUE HERD WAS A FITTING TRIBUTE TO LOSING CLOUD MAN BEFORE HIS TIME.

    I WILL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN LITTLE CLOUD IS BORN. MARLENE TELLS ME THAT HIS MOTHER, WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME CANADIAN’S STEAK BY NOW, IS A VERY SPECIAL HORSE AND SOMEONE IS ALREADY LINED UP TO ADOPT HER. IN THE MEANTIME, LET’S DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP MARLENE KEEP OUR AMERICAN HORSES ALIVE AND WELL IN OUR COUNTRY AND OFF FOREIGN DINNER TABLES.

    THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR STRENGTH AND COMMITMENT TO OUR DEAR ZENYATTA AND ALL HORSES.

    JEANIE

  8. / Reply

    Love the video and picture – thanks so much for sharing! Baby Z sure is growing fast!! Happy Mother’s Day to you Zenyatta and all the other Broodmares!!

  12. / Reply

    Thank you Lane’s End. Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all the human and fur baby mothers. Happy Mother’s Day to our sweet Zenyatta. Love, Shari

  14. / Reply

    Happy Mother’s Day to all mother’s in the land!
    Donna looks to be such a happy, positive person. Thanks Lane’s End and Donna for giving us your time. Zenyatta, baby Z and all of the other brood mares and foals are in the best of hands.
    I love the photo and marvel at how fast that little guy is growing! Thanks much.

  16. / Reply

    Enjoyed the video and LOVE the photo of Z and Baby Z. He sure looks like her! Thanks for keeping us all updated!

  17. / Reply

    Another great piece from the great people at LE. Thank you! And, the picture accompanying this post is super special. Little Z looks more like his fabulous mom every day!

  18. / Reply

    LE, you are the best! Great, informative video today along with another splendid picture of Zenny and her “prince”. To the Mosses, a huge thank you for keeping us engaged in the life of our favorite horse and her little guy (who isn’t so little anymore).

  19. / Reply

    Thank you Team Z for another wonderful interview. My first jobs were mucking out and grooming too… anything to earn rides and lessons. When I finally got my own horse (a feisty little mare) I was the happiest kid on the planet! She took me into the world of hunters, jumpers and eventing. I also love the picture above. Z12 is losing his “baby face” and his mane looks like it’s starting to lay down a little. He’s growing into an absolutely stunning colt.

  20. / Reply

    Great picture, thanks Lane’s End! Is anyone going to the Preakness or Black Eyed Susan? I would love to meet up.

  21. / Reply

    Awwww …. Baby Z is losing his baby fuzz and we can see what color he’s going to be! Can’t be a baby forever!

  22. / Reply

    Great update. Glad to see Mr. Z losing his baby fuzz and becoming a handsome young man.
    Thanks for posting this, always look forward to hearing news about the wonderful Zenyatta and her colt.

  23. / Reply

    Just have to comment again – what a beautiful colt this is … love the beautiful long neck and over-all balance of this boy … muscling up already … truly bred in quality.

  24. / Reply

    Thanks Lane’s End & Team Zenyatta for another great video!
    It is an amazing journey watching Baby Z grow.
    Soon, we will no longer be calling him Baby Z–he will have his grown-up name.
    Happy Mother’s Day to all our Z Dumplings & Z’sters!
    And, of course, Happy First Mother Day to the Queen!
    Hugs,
    Keta

  25. / Reply

    My my my, little boy has turned into a big boy already. Soooo sweet. Best wishes to him and momma Z.
    I hope Zenny has a gray foal next year.

  26. / Reply

    Nice. Thank you Lane’s End.
    Z is such a special Mom. Look at her nibbling on his hind end,total affection!!!!!!
    His little kiss is getting smaller as his face grows. Kissed by an angel!!!!!

  28. / Reply

    Zenny, you have never looked happier. Motherhood clearly suits you and your foal is beginning to look just like you. What a lucky little guy he is …I think you’re carefully teaching him all your moves.

  29. / Reply

    Thank you Team Zenyatta/Lane’s End. It is so special to have news and information about our girl and squealing Z12. With all the British transplants, pretty soon Zenyatta is going to speak with a British accent!!
    Have a wonderful weekend and keep the news coming. We never get enough about our gorgeous Z.
    Again, thank you so much.
    Love, hugs and kisses

  30. / Reply

    Oh forgot, Happy Mother’ s Day gorgeous Zenyatta and all the moms out there!

    Love hugs and kisses

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