Good Morning,
I absolutely LOVE this photo Anne M. Eberhardt took the other day. Here I am with my dear friends, Mario and Carmen. I wanted to mention, just in case you did not know, Mario and Carmen are MARRIED. It is so special to share all of this with them. WE WILL BE FRIENDS FOREVER! I have spent a great deal of time with these 2 lovely people. I think I’m now OFFICIALLY PART OF THEIR FAMILY! I’ve heard that photos of ME are all over their home and in their family albums…right next to those of their children and relatives!
Carmen had never been in the snow before Monday. It is so cute. When I was looking out my window, I saw them taking pictures of each other in the snow. I loved watching them!
Mario has told John countless times that THE LAST 3 YEARS HAVE BEEN THE BEST YEARS OF HIS LIFE! He simply can’t believe it! His pictures have been in magazines, newspapers and on TV with ME! Carmen feels the same way.
John was teasing Mario while they were here…’Did you ever think, Mario, that you would go into the paddock or on the track and people would be calling out your name?’ The crowd was literally chanting…MARIO, MARIO, MARIO the last time I paraded at Hollywood Park. It was GREAT to see how much people appreciated him….and all of his work with ME! While John was saying this to him, all Mario could do was smile…so proudly!
As this is the season for being thankful and reflective on one’s life…I want to say….I AM ONE VERY GRATEFUL HORSE to have been BLESSED TO HAVE ALL OF THESE SPECIAL PEOPLE WITH ME EACH MOMENT…TO HELP ME BE THE BEST I COULD BE!
I TRULY COULD NEVER HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT MY LOVING TEAM ZENYATTA!
It is so comforting to me to be able to say this…and let my friends at Barn 55…and now at Lane’s End…know how much THEY ARE APPRECIATED. Often, in life, people do not really say these things and let their FAMILY, FRIENDS (and in my case…MY FANS) know exactly HOW SPECIAL they are to you. I wanted to be sure to do so!
Things are not always easy and every single day is not always perfect…but I have truly been blessed to be in an environment where THE LOVE OF THE HORSE ALWAYS COMES FIRST!
IN THIS SEASON OF GIVING…WHAT A GIFT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN!
Have a wonderful day!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~
Z
Anne
What a great picture. I thought it was so funny that you made a beeline to see your best friend Mario. And they say elephants never forget…horses don’t either! I hope Mario can visit you again soon along with Carmen. It seems to make you happier when you are with them. Keep enjoying yourself that is what this is all about now. Merry Christmas beautiful girl!
Dana
What a great post! And so well written!
Thank you for sharing with us! It is
touching!
Gloria Jeanne
Zenyatta-
Love YOU and your TEAMS. Thank you ALL for Loving our Zenyatta and taking such good care of her. I believe that we have ALL been Very Blessed.
Wishing you all a Wonderful and Happy New Year!!!
Love and Hugs!!!
Carol L
so happy to see that Mario has been given some recognition and praise for all his hard work. Happy Holidays to all!
Jackie
Queen “Z” what a precious picture. It is nice to see all the love and support surrounding you. Dottie, you are inspiration to all. You capture the essence of Zenyatta, thru your words of encouragment, love, support and genrosity. What a true gift you are!
Everyone associted with you are truly in a CLASS By themselves.
May this Holiday Season be filled with warmth, happiness and love.
Hugs and Kisses
Dani
Zenyatta – you look so content in this beautiful photograph. (Thank you Anne. You always seen to capture Zen’s thoughts and feelings so well. There is so much love and tenderness in this one. Old friends sharing a companionship that distance and time cannot make fade away. There is an endless love between them that shows so sweetly). Zen, I am so glad you had those precious moments with your California family. It must have brought so much happiness into your life to share good times with them again. They will always hold a special place in your heart as you do for them. What can be more magical than that?
Lisa g
Ms Zenyatta, this is the best picture of you, Mario and Carmen. People chanted Mario, because alot of us wish we were him, walking you, grooming you, taking care of you, just to be with you. I love you, sweet dreams….love and hugs, Lisa g
Kim Noble
Happy Holidays to you Zenny and to your entire family. They are very special people to share you with all of us because all our lives would be so much poorer without you. Love you Queen Z!
Mary Alice Kier
Dear Zenyatta – such a lovely salute to Mario and Carmen who obviously love you so much as you this wonderful couple. And now that we’ve reached this season of giving thanks…I loved your comment about being in an environment in which the LOVE OF THE HORSE ALWAYS COMES FIRST and the Mosses, John, Dottie, Mario, Carmen, Steve and Mike and the rest of Team Zenyatta have certainly demonstrated that each year and particularly this last year. You are such a special gift to us all and your great spirit and love of the race is a wonder to behold. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Zenyatta, Team Zenyatta and Lane’s End!!
Pat Mannion
Merry Christmas Big Baby, I hope you get to see Mike soon. I love you sweety pie.. You are an incredible horse.. almost human.
Dani
To Dianne –
Thank you for sharing that beautiful and amazing story of The Old One. It’s a tear jerker for sure, but one that says everything is possible, every blessing in life can be traced to love. The heart is bigger than many give it credit for – many even fail to take the chance to explore freely by opening their hearts to experiences and to others for different reasons. This story brings back the simplest of the nature of the heart and it’s incredible powers. Zenyatta has brought out the nature of the heart and of love and of the joy of life and even caring for other’s feelings. Your story is very timely. I hope it will be appreciated by others as much as it has been appreciated by me. Thank you again for sharing. Merry Christmas to you.
Marilyn
Thank you for the beautiful photo. After seeing the video earlier this week, I kept wondering about Mario and Carmen and hoping they had special time with you and hoped they’ll be able to visit with you at Lane’s End in the future. I saw them at Hollywood Park with you and was so touched by the beautiful bond, going way beyond words or description, that existed.Thank you, Dottie, for keeping us in touch with Zenyatta and her world. I think of her journal entries often. They brighten my world. It is a beautiful gift to us all. Merry Christmas.
Deb HUrt
First of all Merry Christmas to Z’s owners first and foremost,your generosity to all horse lovers,and Z’s fans speaks volumes of what SPECIAL people you truly are! Secondly to the other members of team Z for loving,nurturing and helping care for such a marvelous horse! To Queen Z… you look so happy,and in this picture with Mario and Carmen.. I think your smiling and look at peace in their presence…your marvelous journey gives us all back some hope in some bleak times…Thanks girl! BTW Z… I think its unanimous..we all want you to be a Mommy one of these days…and I am quite sure your foals will be marvelous and you will be a special a Mom as you are just being you!
P.S… I still think you should choose one of Secretariats descendants to breed with…just sayin :)
Debbie in central Ohio
Diane
Queen Z you show your love like no other horse. I am in awe of this photo and how it has captured your essence – love. Carman and Mario
are so incredible in their dedication to you. But it’s because you, Z, are the most loving and giving of any horse I’ve ever experienced and I want to thank you so much for your gift to our world. Merry, merry Christmas Queen Z to you and all your family. All my love, Diane from Solana Beach
Rebecca
You and Team Z have given us a wonderful gift. Enjoy your holidays :). Hope you get some yummy treats.
Catherine Uher
“All because of love”… Dianne’s story tells the meaning of this picture so prefectly and eloquently. Merry Christmas to you beautiful girl and to your entire family, both old and new, and to all our your fans whom I feel so connected to through these daily posts you write! You have given us such a special and heartwarming gift! Thank you from the bottom of my little heart to you and all of your family… ya’ll have been so incredibly gracious and it means the world to us! Hope you get lots of goodies from Santa! And some Guiness! <3
Sunny Farm
I enjoyed reading todays diary, and can just imagine what the past three years have been like for Mario & Carmen as well as for everyone involved with Queen Z. !
What wonderful times as well as a lot of hard work. I was so happy that Mario was able to travel to Lanes End to see ZENAYTTA & I’m still just tickled at all of Annes photos she took that day. Everyone was so happy to be together, it just made me smile and feel so good all day !
Valeria P. Cannon
….and God blessed us, every one. Where there is trust, kindness, and respect, there is Love! Lady Z, I want to wish each and everyone of your teams including Don Robinson, Jeanne, and April at the Mayberry
Farm a Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad) and a Happy and Blessed New Year!!!! Thank you all for what you do and for giving us the Best of the best in Zenyatta. You have all shown us that it’s not about the money or fame but it’s how you treat the horse. You guys are the best at what you do, and the proof is standing at Lane’s End. It’s a great honor to have been allowed a window into your world. Thank you all for the time, patience and graciousness you have shown us (fans) in sharing the queen with us, something no other owner/trainer has ever done! May God bless each and everyone of you and may the wind always be at your back. Lady Z, please wish Pirate Queen a merry Christmas from us, as well. See what happens when you’re in the presence of the Queen, the light shines on you too! Hugs and kisses to you all!!!!!! Oh, and David you did get the right horse!(hee-hee)
Valeria
Rozzane Trainnah-Fletcher
What an old soul Zenyatta is, what a picture of love… a gift for all of us at Christmas.
Dolores Pshsnychniak
Absolutely a lovely photo, you can see the love between all three of you…
KAAREN REICHE
On my desk in a silver frame is a photo of Zenyatta being walked into the winner’s circle for Breeders’ Cup 2009. Mike Smith, with a huge smile holds up a purple aster from the robe of flowers around Z’s neck. Mario walks at her head, with his own head held proudly high. At that moment Mario must be the richest man in the world!
diane schubert
Thank you for all you have writtn. It is such a joy to see what you have done for us. Christmas time is so special, we remember God’s love. You have given us so much love, and special moments, and tears. Diane
Faby Mattos
Zennyyy!! I’m from Brazil and I LOVE YOU so much!! I always was searching on the internet news about you. Here in Brazil, so many people love you just like me… and we love to see you run on the track… an in the PADDOCK!! WOW!!!
I read your blog every day… it was wonderful to see you share your Barn 55 with Zardana, a brazilian filly that makes the brazilian people so so so proud!!
Thank you for all the great moments and examples that you gave to the brazilian people who likes “The Sport Of The Kings”!!!!
With all my love..
Faby
RuKi
A stunning photo! Thanks for sharing it.
jahlgren
Thanks for your always sweet, upbeat and very positive posts. They always bring a smile and joy. Merry Christmas, “big girl”. Lotsa love,
Kitei
Dear Zenny ~
We humans have to think this through and get it the right way ’round! The best among us can <> aspire to be “almost equine” — not vice versa:
“Where in the world is nobility found without conceit? Where is there friendship without envy? Where is there beauty without vanity? Here one finds gracefulness coupled with power, and strength tempered with gentleness.”
We have so much to learn from you and all the other higher animals!
I really have to agree with Mark Twain as he wrote:
“In truth, man is incurably foolish. Simple things which the other animals easily learn, he is incapable of learning. Among my experiments was this. In an hour I taught a cat and a dog to be friends. I put them in a cage. In another hour I taught them to be friends with a rabbit. In the course of two days I was able to add a fox, a goose, a squirrel and some doves. Finally a monkey. They lived together in peace; even affectionately…
“Next, in another cage I confined an Irish Catholic from Tipperary, and as soon as he seemed tame I added a Scotch Presbyterian from Aberdeen. Next a Turk from Constantinople; a Greek Christian from Crete; an Armenian; a Methodist from the wilds of Arkansas; a Buddhist from China; a Brahman from Benares. Finally, a Salvation Army Colonel from Wapping. Then I stayed away two whole days. When I came back to note results, the cage of Higher Animals was all right, but in the other there was but a chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones and flesh — not a specimen left alive. These Reasoning Animals had disagreed on a theological detail and carried the matter to a Higher Court.”
The great quality of the humans who have been blessed to be your pupils testifies to nothing so much as to your brilliance as an example and a teacher!
We are all so happy to be able to stay in touch with you.
Jana Bail
Love Zenyatta and team! I heartily wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Greetings from Germany Jana
Susan Lowther
Wonderful photo! Love abounds! Merry Christmas Zen and to all of Team Zenyatta!
Amy Miller
Merry Christmas to you and your wonderful family, Zenyatta! We love you!
Helen
Zenyatta, you grace us more than words can express.To Team Zenyatta at Barn 55 and Lane’s End: may your holiday be as joyous as the joy you have shared with us. Merry Christmas.