Breaking News! Zenyatta Takes the G1 Lady's Secret, Again!

Okay, so today, Zenyatta danced past her competition to win her 13th-race in 13 starts and taking the Grade 1 Lady's Secret for a second time! She won the 2008 Eclipse Award for Champion older female and she truly deserved that award, oh boy! She's earned $2,774,580 racing dollars in her 5 short years, and she's been only a West Coast kind of gal! She was born on April 1, 2004! Her owners, the Moss family, are trying to decide whether she should go into the G1 Breeders Cup Ladies Classic or the G1 Breeders Cup Classic.

This year, chatter demanded a match race between Miss Thing, the beautiful Zenyatta, and the Kentucky Oaks and Preakness winning Rachel Alexandra. But yesterday, Jess Jackson, Rachel's dad said that she was taking the rest of the year off and going to Churchill Downs for a rest. She had won all 8 of her '09 races and needed a rest because she had been a busy baby, at 3!

So, we won't be able to see these two big-time girls face-off this year, but maybe down the road!

In other news, last night I took a long 3 hour nap, then dined at B-dubs and read the paper, and then slept for something like 12 hours more. Then I went to the stable and spent a leisurely day hand-grazing my herd, Parelliing with Hailee, goofing off with Renny, and riding the wonderful wonderful Violet. I really enjoyed so much the hand-grazing. The sun was beautiful, sky sharp bright blue, big white puffed clouds and yellowing rustling corn. My horses' coats looked so rich and glossy and bright! I am a lucky woman.

Sisters Grazing in My Dreams

These are the most beautiful horse hindquarters I know. My beautiful girls, relaxing and grazing by a pretty country landscape. I love them.

Big Girls Grazing

Here is a sexy group of mares -- a Quarter horse, Paint horse, and thoroughbred, each with outstanding breeding. No wonder they are glowing with beauty!

Violet and I Spend Some Happy Hours!

So, last night I went to the stable and Violet and I had a happy ride with Lexie, Karla, Taz and Sam. I felt so relaxed and felt like I was sitting deep and tall, and my legs felt long. I felt like I was fully in the saddle and was not nervous, but was just connected to my beautiful red girl. And we floated in our trot and canter and were light and ready. And then today I went to the stable and lunged her and she floated light and balanced. So, I hitched her to her cart and we just floated and trotted and cantered and serpentined and turned and had a glorious cool dark blue clouded sky day in heavy wet cushioned dirt as we listened to the corn rustle rustle rustle. We really rocked and rolled the past few days. I am so proud of my beautiful mare.

Breaking News! Sea the Stars Makes History!

This past weekend, a 3 year-old colt, Sea the Stars, with Mick Kinane on board, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, after winning the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby. Those string of wins this year made history -- no other horse has won those three stellar races in a single year. His Irish daddy, Cape Cross, and American mom, Urban Sea, must be so proud!

BFF

In all my live long days, I will never forget that first day in June when Violet had been taken to Showgate ahead of me. I arrived and she was snorting and anxious and scooting around her stall. And Barbie and Tom told me to put her in a pasture and she was so happy, so happy to walk across that green lawn to a pasture. And then the very next day, she was in the pasture with this girl, Sedona, and they were great friends from the get-go. I remember them putting their faces over the fenceline and giving me such sassy girl expressions. Violet likes having her younger sweet buddy.

Beautiful Faces

Namaste.

Hailee's Dirt Streaks

You can't tell from this early June photo, but my big old foundation mare, Hailee, had just taken a dirt roll, so she has these sexy streaks of mud along her hindquarters. What a macho Western girl! And here she takes a moment in the shade to share a happy nibble with her elegant refined sister!

My Sweet and Social Violet, Again!

These photos are from June 8th and Violet is relaxing with her girlfriend, Sedona. I have a very good life with a beautiful home, garden, and work. And here is this gorgeaus mare as part of my life as well. I am so lucky and blessed to have her as part of my life. If I were rich, I would set up my farm so that she would have a great life of living in a big old roomy box stall with window onto a pasture. And then she would have lots and lots of turnout with good pals and water and good rich grass and run-in shelters and shade trees. And she would be bred to the best stallions. But in this world, my world, she has to live a more limited life, but at least she's still part of my family! And she lives at beautiful Showgate Stables with her nephew, sister and good friends! She's a goofy smart sweet girl!

Welcome to Fall 2009!

Hello, happy Fall 2009 to you all! Here is a photo Barbie took of me and my happy herd last Saturday, the last weekend in September. We are gorgeaus blooming creatures!

My Sweet and Social Violet

Here's my girl, giving her first friend at Showgate a little June love. Can you tell that they really like and trust each other? Violet was durned happy when she arrived at Showgate last year. I will never forget. Tom and Barbie had picked her up while I was out farm-shopping. When I got to Showgate, she was in the first stall with the window open and she was agitated. She snorted and burst around her stall in big power spurts, nervous and unsure and suddenly realizing that she'd gotten onto a trailer without me and was just lucky to end up at a place she recognized. But the moment she met Sedona and was turned out for the first time with her, she was purely happy. Last year at this time, I was taking photos of Sedona and Violet hanging their sassy cute faces over the fence, declaring their independence, but asking for love! Good friends.

My Casual Natural Beauties

Such sweet kind unassuming patient agreeable and beautiful girls. Namaste.

Shiny Red Girl

Check out that glossy, silky, shiny, radiant coat. See the light dancing off her neck, shoulder and haunches. This girl looks like she is cast out of red gold glowing from the furnace. She's my sweet gorgeaus girl. And her favorite friend is taking a peek over her at her ma! That's me!

Sweeping at Flies

Sisters, relaxing in a beautiful setting, grazing as horses do, and sweeping their luxurious thick tails over each other's silken cocosoya-enriched coats. Could any two girls ever be so lovely? I don't think so. Namaste.