The Zenyatta Bobblehead

           On Martin Luther King Day for the last four years, the Hot Springs racetrack Oaklawn Park, gives away a bobblehead that depicts a famous and prominent horse. This year the bobbleheads resemble Zenyatta, the spectacular and world-famous racehorse most locally known for her participation in the Apple Blossom Invitational Handicap in April of 2010.

 The ticket booths opened at 11:00 a.m., and to get a decent spot in the front of the line, we waited outside for two very cold and boring hours. When  ticket booths opened, we bought tickets for $2 each and walked swiftly to the bobblehead distribution table, trading our tickets for a white box containing the coveted statue. After returning to the parking lot, I finally got a good look at my new sculpture.  Two hours in the cold were worth it.

            The bobbleheads that Oaklawn distrubutes to fans every year are can not be compared to the goofy ones with huge wobbling heads. Zenyatta has a porpotional head that will not move unlike a normal bobblehead. Her head is slightly cocked to the side while her front leg is raised in the famous dance position she performs to the audience before every race. Her bridle is covered in beautiful pink apple blossoms and has her number painted in black. The unique painting of the horse, will turn heads at the race track.

            Zenyatta, born April 1, 2004 in Kentucky, has an astounding career consisting of 20 races, placing 1^st in 19 of them. She won Horse of the Year in 2010, the most prestigious award in horse racing. It goes without saying that Zenyatta is probably the most famous horse alive, and that is reflected in Oaklawn’s choice to immortalize her as a bobblehead.

            Does this little statuette have any value, though? While the adverage bid on Ebay will go for around $40, the highest bid ever has been over $100.
As years go on and the bobbleheads disperse, they will be worth more. They are a unique treasure from Hot Springs, and in the future, when it’s being picked out of an old attic, it will trace back to our home, our renowned racetrack, and the spectacular horse Zenyatta.

Westan Lakey 4th