Accolades
Fable Arabians Receives 2009 Best of Business Award
Fable Arabians recives many accolades from its customers:
Hello Bob, Lauralee, I just had to share this photo with you. It was taken during a NATRC ride at Uwharrie Nat'l forest this past March. It really shows just how beautiful Zenda is and is one of the best photos of her that I have... the rider, by contrast, is a different story!
We didn't do so well at that ride. Zenda came up slightly "off" on the left front, on the morning of the second day. I could have probably had her walk it off but I'd rather err on the side of caution so I pulled her from the ride. 24 hours later there was no sign that she was ever "off". Three weeks later we scored a 97++ (out of a possible 100) at a 40 mile NATRC ride with wonderful vital checks at the vetting points and no sign of being "off" at all. The first + mark was for a picture perfect sidepass out in the forest and the second for an off side mount (no movement / steps taken by Zenda) combined with a smooth mount by me.
I hope you folks are doing well and remember if you ever get to my part of the country be sure to stop by, visit for a while and see Zenda.
Les Gruseck
Comments by Jim Robbins in an article that appeared in The Crabbet Influence in Arabians Today, April-May-June 1994 The Crabbet Park super sire, Skowronek, is the foundation Arabian that Bob and Laurie Dryden have built their Fable Arabians breeding program around. For nearly 25 years, the Drydens have linebred and inbred, the descendents of Skowronek, mainly through his son *Raffles (x *Rifala by Skowronek), producing a group of horses that are extraordinarily consistent in both type and quality. Not only are these animals aesthetically pleasing, they have the conformation and disposition to make top show, working or family horses. The ranch is located on the easternmost edge of the Tucson Basin against the spectacular backdrop of the southern Arizona mountains... As a group, the PHP Dazl daughters are extremely consistent in both type and quality. All were grey in color, and since there were 17 and all, and many were any were out of bay or chestnuts mares. I assume that Dazl was homozygous for siring gray. Two full sisters, Fable Laziza and Fable Aziza Love (PHP Dazl X GT Kalmia), were strikingly similar with classic heads and particularly good hindquarters. Both are winners in Western pleasure, with Laziza also being a halter champion. Another group of three sisters, all my PHP Dazl and out of the foundation mare Sandarac Pepper, are Fable Panache, Fable Preciosa and Fable Promise. Though of varying types, all three were excellent individuals. My personal favorites of the younger mares were Fable Revelly and Rare Raves, both by PHP Dazl and out of Shalimar Rafala, who traces in tail female to the rare*Rifala. (dam of *Raffles) mare line. These mares stood well over 15 hands and have lots of charisma and type... Most importantly, Bob and Laurie will continue with their tradition of customer satisfaction, which is always been the most important part of Fable's breeding and marketing plans
Comments from Carol Mingst
In Tucson, I also saw Fable Arabians. Dr. Robert Dryden was very hospitable, including letting me camp there a couple nights. (I camped a lot on vacation to save $$ where I could. Since I just found out my file processing alone will be over $200, I guess it was a good idea.) While driving out to Fable Arabians--way out on the East side of town--I heard Dr. Dryden's add on the radio for his plastic surgery clinic. He showed me around that while I was there, too. On to the horses: Many of the horses were by his stallion PHP Dazl (who died a few years back). All of them are heavy Skowronek blood, in particular through *Raffles. (There are other crosses as well, but most are *Raffles lines.) Dazl was extremely beautiful from his photos and certainly his offspring that I saw there were quite remarkable. Dazl was homozygous gray, but even them all being gray didn't keep me from enjoying the mares in particular. (He has one stallion that is a son of Dazl as well who is also quite nice.) It was interesting to find out that in Tucson's climate, there are reasons to discourage much white. I'd heard of people not wanting it out of prejudice, but this was the first time I heard solid reasons--like excessive sunburn and some 'scratches' sort of leg problems that is particularly bad down there on pink skin. Needless to say, Fable Arabians does not encourage much white markings. Since more white seems to pop out on chestnuts, those are limited too. (There was a nice chestnut filly out of a Dazl daughter who had a full white stocking and a full blaze.) The one outcross horse in the barn was out of a Dazl daughter by Zodiac Matador. This was a nice chestnut colt--though his head was not nearly as nice as the line bred ones. (Zodiac Matador's dam's side is very much Kellogg, by the way.) The bays at Fable Arabians had a different style from the grays. It wasn't just the color. I believe it was also the type of breeding horse being chosen. I saw a picture of Garaff, I think it was, a bay *Raffles son. That was what the bays looked like. In particular, where the Dazl horses had long, up-held necks, the bays seemed to look more western-type with heavier necks set on differently. I found that, in general, Fable Arabians horses have extremely powerful hind ends--long hips and groups. I liked the Fable horses better than Al Marah horses. Dr. Dryden rides all of his horses and goes out into very rugged mountain terrain with them. He has no problems with the horses handling all that. Some of the critters on the place had been national winners with his daughter in the past (in western and other things.) About the only thing I didn't see there that I think I would have liked was a double Dazl foal. Since there is a lot of inbreeding in the lines anyway, I think it would work out just fine to breed Spellbinder (the Dazl son) to one of his lovely Dazl daughters. I really wish I had had a chance to see Dazl in the flesh, but I was a few years too late. Oh, on a different note--Dr. Dryden told me that Amerigo used to live just down the road. Amerigo lived into his thirties just like his son Khemosabi!
Stallions for Sale Mares for Sale Geldings for Sale Stallions at Stud Fable Photo Gallery Fable Main Barn
