Fryga - One Mightly Little Mare

Fryga

One Mighty Little Mare

The little Polish race mare tasted early success, winning races and gaining awards, but through no fault of her own, she and 122 stablemates were slated to be sold at public auction.

Fryga was foaled on 21 March 1987, at the Florida farm of Betsy and John Burger from the pure Polish match of Wielki Raz and the imported *Filga.

Fryga, considered small in stature, was large in attitude, seeming to channel the racing attributes of her Polish grandsire, Gokart (Partner x Gomora, by Comet) bred by Janow Podlaski State Stud. Gokart won 3 of his 15 races and was 1982 Swedish National Champion Stallion before he was imported into the U.S. in 1983.

Directed towards racing in 1990 as a 3-year-old, Fryga’s fast turn of foot put her quickly on the boards with a 3-3-2 record for her first 10 races, taking home $34,741 for the year. Being much the best filly that year, she won the Darley Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Award at the 1991 Darleys.

She raced like she loved the wind. 4-2-3, including three stakes races and $51,143 in earnings. In 1995, she won 4 out of 7 starts, including the coveted Gladys Brown Edwards Cup (Gr.1) and was awarded 1995 Darley Champion Older Mare. She was retired from racing with an overall record of 8/72(20-16-14)11-19, and $247,704 in lifetime earnings. In 1999, she was inducted into the AJC Racing Hall of Fame.

And here the future of this tough little mare gets hung in the balance. Due to gross negligence, the 123 horses in the Burger’s care, including our heroine Fryga, were seized by the State of Florida and consigned to auction. There was undoubtedly more

trauma for the horses in this process than we will know, but the future fate of this game race mare eventually came to the attention of Arabian breeders and owners, Dianne Waldron, Xavier Moreau and Willie Linahan. The three formed a partnership to rescue her from the Sherriff’s sale.

“I purchased Fryga because of her excellent race record,” said Waldron. ”I started my breeding plan by choosing breeding mares with solid race records,

By Pamela Burton

Photo top left and above: Fryga winning the Equest International Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in 1994. Photos by Tom Cooley.

Above and next page. Fryvolous, Darley Horse of the Year and Darley Champion 4-Year-Old Colt also won the Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr. 1) in Dubai, UAE. Photos by Pamela Burton.

then breeding winners to winners. This has worked, and now, we have many good mares that are homebreds. My plan was to send Fryga to breed to the top stallions in the world.” Waldron subsequently bought out the other partners.

Installed in France, Fryga is credited with nine foals from 1998 through 2008. Her foals and the foals of her offspring have established Fryga as a true Blue Hen, a mare that has proven her worth from generation to generation. And here we look at some of her more important racing progeny.

2000 Frynch (by Dormane) - The first foal Fryga produced was the chestnut filly Frynch, by Dormane. Frynch raced in the U.S. from 2003 through 2006 with her most successful year in 2004 when she won 5 out of 11 starts and $186,255 in prize money. All totaled, she had a race record of 28(8-5-5) including 4 stakes races, topping her dam’s earnings at $249,756.

“Frynch was one of my most successful mares,” said Waldron. ”I still own her, and she is in France at le Haras du Grand Courgeon.”

2002 Fynge Benefit (Dormane). This stallion raced from 2005-2009 with earnings of $161,939 and a win in the Drinkers of the Wind Derby (Gr. 1). In 2003, Fryga delivered one of her most well-known colts by Dormane. Fryvolous was a handsome, well-mannered bay and seemed to know when he had won. As a 3-year-old racing in the U.S., Fryvolous placed in 3 of his 6 starts. In 2007, he was a stand-out, winning 6 of his 8 starts, including two G1 races, quite the best record for the year, assuring the Darley Champion 4-Year-Old Colt award and the award for Darley Horse of the Year.

Fryvolous arrived in the United Arab Emirates by February 2008 and had his first win by December after coming second to Mizzna in a November outing. He won the next 6 of 7 races, the sixth race being his highest prize money race, beating some of the best Arabians colts of that year in the March 2009, $250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr. 1). These were his best racing years, and he never again achieved the easy money, but he was raced until 2014.

2004 Frysk Me Now (by Dormane) This grey stallion raced in the U.S. from 2007 to 2010 with a record of 32(7-6-3)0-6 and earnings of $91,641. He was exported to the UAE in 2011 where he raced until 2013.

2008 Frynzy (by Dormane) She was a race winner in the U.S. and producer of RB Grynade (by Burning Sand) racing in the UAE from 2017 to 2021, and RB Blyng (by Majd Al Arab) multiple Graded-placed winner in the U.S., exported to the UAE.

Meanwhile

The mare Frynch has had a most extensive influence in the Arabian horse world, producing at least 20 babies from 2007 to 2015. She was exported to Qatar in 2015, but later was repurchased by Waldron who brought her back to France where she is until this day. Frynch has had babies every year and now reproduces via embryo transfer with two babies expected for 2012. Her most notable foals to date are:

2007 Rich Frynchman (by TH Richie). Grade 1 winner in U.S., exported to France.

2009 Wycked (by Burning Sand). This chestnut mare was a Grade 3 stakes winner in the U.S. from 2012 to 2013, Darley Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, exported to the UAE.

2009 Rich Frynd. (by TH Richie). Full sister to Group1 winner Rich Frynchman. This chestnut mare did not race much, but has delivered successful babies onto the racing scene, including:

2014 RB Hot Date (Burning Sand x Rich Frynd) exported to the UAE in 2019 after earning $36,630 from 2017 to 2019 in the U.S. and was 2017 Darley Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.

2016 RB Rich Lyke Me (Majd Al Arab x Rich Frynd ) This grey stallion was a multiple Group winner racing from 2019 to 2021 in the U.S. with 16 starts and 7 firsts, earning $133,040. He was named Darley Champion 3- and 4-Year-Old Colt.

2011 RB Frynch Broad (by Madjani). Grade 2 stakes winner raced from 2014 to 2016 in the U.S. with 19 starts, giving her 5 firsts and earnings $64,098. The chestnut mare was awarded Darley Champion 4-Year-Old Filly based on wins in the Delaware Park Oaks and Texas Oaks; exported to UAE. She is also starting to produce quality racehorses as well.

2016 RB Frynchh Dude (Baseq Al Khalediah x RB Frynch Broad). The 5-year-old RB Frynchh Dude is showing talent now in his UAE race career with a G1 win over Brraq on 28 January 2021 and a G2 win on 17 December 2020 over Amwaj, both at Meydan. Earnings through 2020 are $120,988.

2017 RB Lara (Munjiz x RB Frynch Broad). This filly is a multiple race winner and Group 3-placed against colts in the Texas Six Shooter (Gr. 3). She was also a 2020 Darley Champion nominee.

“Just Try It” - Passion is the key in horse breeding and racing

Dianne Waldron explains: “I was always horse crazy in a family that was not into horses. There was an old grey mare in our Florida neighborhood, nothing much to look at really. I really wanted her, and finally my Dad said if they would take $25 for her, I could have her. Well, they did, and it made me happy. After I had seen two Arabian Stallions in a local parade, I fell in love with Arabians, and I eventually bred my old mare to each of them.

Waldron remembers: “Years later when I was married, I had gotten a Quarter Horse to ride and started in endurance in my Western saddle. I loved it and saw that I needed an Arabian to be serious about competing.

“In 1979 I got an Arabian.” Dianne traded a horse she had for a Bezatal daughter that was big and tough enough to ride in endurance, and she changed her saddle. Endurance was gaining importance, and she and husband Bill had fun and met many wonderful connections while riding together.

“Just try it” is a good description of how Dianne has developed her racing success.

Timing is everything. In 1983, when parimutuel racing came to Florida, she was ready to try her hand at it. Bill was a farrier and not allowed to get a trainer’s license at the time, so Dianne got hers. “We just took the horses we had out back and raced them,” said Dianne with a smile. “The Bezatal endurance mare, Ei Talquahjamasna (Hannah), was the only mare we had. She won her first out against all boys at Ocala. At Tampa, I raced her in an open race against the best stakes colts in the country, and she got third. The next week, we ran again, and she beat all of them!”

There is nothing like the thrill of winning and breeding Arabians was the next step. Breeding winners to winners, Waldron’s RB (Rosebrook Farms) brand has proved a successful venture and a legacy that keeps on giving.

Fryga was recognized with three Darley Awards and received the 1999 ARC Racing Hall of Fame Award. Her progeny has also won a total of eight Darley Champion Awards and her daughter Frynch will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Total monies from the top earners in the Fryga dynasty is estimated at least $785,000 with international earnings estimated but not verified.

RB French Dude ((Baseq Al Khalediah x RB Frynch Broad) is now a Group 1 winner in the UAE.

How to Read a Race Record

In the U.S., race records for Arabians are commonly written as follows: 1/6(1-2-3)1-2, $99,999. These numbers mean, left to right: 1 - the number of years the horse raced 6 - the total number of starts 1 - the total number of first place finishes 2 - the total number of second place finishes 3 - the total number of third place finishes 1 - the total number of stakes wins 2 - the total number of stakes places (second or third place finishes) $99,999 - total earnings