The ceremony of the 21st Darley Awards for the best Arabian racehorses and their breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys was held during the last annual Arabian horse show in Scottsdale, following the example of the Eclipse Awards, handed out each year to the most valiant Thoroughbreds.
The title of Darley Horse of the Year 2007 was given to the 5 year old bay, Polish descending, stallion Fryvolous 2003 (Dormane – Fryga by Wielki Raz). The breeder and owner of this stallion is one of the most titled Arabian horse breeders in the world – Diana Waldron of RoseBrook Farm in Brooksville, Florida. It was a fifth Darley statuette that Diana Waldron received as the owner of the best horse of the year. Previously awarded horses bred by her included the Triple-Crown stallion TH Richie and fillies Triple Five, Unchainedd Melody and Victorias Secrett. The trainer of the victorious Fryvolous is the already legendary Phil Saxer Jr., who led to victory many fames of the track, among them the Polish originating Monarch AH and the above mentioned Triple-Crown winner TH Richie.

In 2007 Fryvolous took home six wins from eight starts, including the Bob Magness Derby (G2), besting by a couple of lengths at the finish line the superb Gimme A Break. Whereas in the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation St. (G1) he beat both contenders for the Horse of the Year, which were Aim South and Thoroughbred. Diehard fans of Fryvolous wanted to cheer him on in the Arabian Cup Classic (G1), where again he would battle out first place among the entire threesome mentioned above (Gimme A Break, Aim South and Throughbred). All in vain. In October of 2007, a couple of weeks before the Arabian Cup Classic, Fryvolous was purchased by Sheikh Khalif bin Zayed al Nahayan and headed for the Middle East to continue his racing career.

Fryvolous boasts an interesting pedigree. He is the son of the leading French sire of Arabian racehorses Dormane 1984, of the sire line Latif d.b. Dormane produced very valiant at the track sons, such as the bay Chndaka 1990 out of the mare Malika Fonteney by Medici, the bay Falina Des Fabries 1993 out of Valina Des Fabries by Djourman or Magic De Pitboul 1996 out of Mona Lisa by Badr Bedur. All of them made their mark on breeding after the end of their racing careers. Fryvolous’ dam is a hardy mare of a pure Polish pedigree: Fryga 1987, grey (Wielki Raz – Filga by Gokart). She originates from the Sławuta dam line of Ukrainka 1815. During her 8 year career at the track Fryga participated in 71 starts, winning 20 of them – mostly stake races. After concluding her racing career she was transported to France to take up a breeding career. She produced very hardy progeny by Dormane, such as the chestnut Oaks winner Frynch 2000, the bay Derby winner Frynge Benefit 2002 and of course Fryvolous. This year a racing career will be commenced by her grey son Frysk Me Now 2004 and in two years’ time his full brother, the grey Swyft 2006, will make his appearance at the track. Most of Fryga’s progeny are stallions. Her daughter Frynch 2000, after very successful starts at the track, began a breeding career in the US. She gave birth to two colts. Fryga’s second daughter, the bay Fraynce 2001, remained unraced, as she was sold to the Middle East and incorporated into breeding.

It is worthy to emphasize that in the 21 year history of awarding the title of Horse of the Year in the US, 19 of them were given out to horses of Polish origins, out of which half had the legendary Wiking in their pedigrees. Furthermore this title was twice awarded to the best racing son of Wiking, the bay DA Adios 1998. Previously this rare feat was accomplished by a stallion of pure Polish origins from the sire line of Krzyżyk d.b. – the bay NF Proof 1985. Today DA Adios is a chief sire in the renown Arabian racing horse stud – Cre Run Enterprises LLC, owned by the Kirshners in Doswell, Virginia. Whereas the much proven bay stallion NF Proof is a chief sire at Seyvilla Arabians in DeFuniak Springs, Florida for many years.

US Horse of the Year