Local farm centered on horses that are high-spirited, loyal and eager to please

Jack Bauska’s demeanor softens as his Arabian foals push their soft muzzles over the fence for a pat and gentle word. Their mothers continue grazing for a few minutes then amble over for a share of his affection.

“I think they are the most beautiful animals on earth,” he said. “They’re extraordinary animals. They’re more intelligent than any other horse and they bond more with humans than any other horse.”

On July 30, he and his wife Wendy host their 2011 Garage Mahal Party. This annual extravaganza draws about 600 people from around the world to Morning View Arabians ranch in west Kalispell for the debut of their crop of 2011 foals.

People from as far as the Middle East, Europe, Australia and India, along with local and out-of-state visitors, converge on the neat white buildings and white fences framing lush pastures.

Bauska said he positioned his home to look directly into Glacier National Park and take in the panoramic pastoral beauty of spirited Arabians galloping across the pastures with tails held high and nostrils flared.

“We play off the beauty here to get people to come up and see this country,” he said. “We’ll show off this year’s crop and, hopefully, we’ll get breeders interested in buying them and get the word out about them.”

As proud as any new parent, Bauska he has some very good prospects among this year’s youngsters. Every breeder holds out hope of producing Arabians such as one stallion that sold for $5 million and another Arabian that brought in $2.8 million when the bidding ended.

“I have a friend who had one sell for $1 million on the way into the (competition) ring,” he said. “It was a guy from Brazil. He must have known the horse was going to win.”

While those sales inspire all breeders, Bauska said few people get rich in the horse business although some can support their operation. After years of extensive business travel, he and his wife started

Morning View Arabians in west Kalispell about 11 years ago for the love of the breed.

His principal business involves buying and selling natural resource properties, such as mines. In his shop/barn they dubbed Garage Mahal, Bauska has draped flags representing some of the more than 100 countries he visited in the course of several ventures.

 His deep roots in Kalispell as a native and 1968 Kalispell High School graduate compelled him to develop his ranch along Morning View Drive.

“My dad was born in a house about a mile and a half from here in Smith Valley,” he said. “My mother was born here too.”

Bauska traces his passion for Arabians back to his uncle who raised the breed on his Riverside Arabian Ranch along the Stillwater River. He said a day does not pass that he does not remember some bit of wisdom he learned from his uncle.

“He was a horse whisperer before anyone knew what a horse whisperer was,” he said.

With an operation devoted exclusively to breeding, Bauska said his goal is to produce the perfect Arab type. His calls the breed a genetic wonder resulting in the most versatile horse in the world.

While most breeds have a single focus — like speed in thoroughbreds — Arabians excel in nearly every show class including English and Western pleasure, cutting and reining, even jumping and dressage. The horses also perform well on the trail and in racing events.

“There has never been a major endurance race that was not won by an Arab or Arab derivative, “ Bauska said.

He said the horse has a hard hoof that is large in proportion to its body. Arabs have bigger nostrils and larger lungs than other breeds and denser, stronger bones.

Even their regal-looking habit of hoisting their tail high has a genetically evolved advantage as a second avenue of exhaust, Bauska said. He said a lot of people think of Arabians as flighty but he said the breed has no more “knotheads” than any other.

Perhaps most intriguing, he said Arabians form tight bonds with humans and try so hard to please when they understand what you want.

He said he has witnessed that trait in the show ring as the horse strikes and freezes in the stance that bests shows off conformation for judges.

“It brings tears to your eyes,” he said.

Even with so many advantages, Arabians remain one of the rarest of horses with only about 700,000 registered and 50,000 to 60,000 bred each year. As a comparison, the quarter horse registry lists around 8 million horses.

Bauska said there is something so special about these horses galloping and snorting and kicking up their hooves.

“They grab your heart,” he said. “They love to show off.”

Morning View Arabians started with a couple of mares more than a decade ago and now have about a dozen. Up until a year ago, they kept two stallions, Guinness and Jamaal Khan, who were listed among the top 10 in regional and national registries.

After Guinness tragically broke his leg and had to be destroyed, Bauska decided to not keep stallions at his breeding operation. He sold Jamaal Khan then became part of a syndicate that, after a long search, jointly purchased a top stallion named LA Karat.

 “We imported him from Italy,” he said. “We think he can be a very significant breeder.”

Morning View Arabians has LA Karat’s very first foal, Batal, with four more currently available. He said he also has quite a few babies from Jamaal Khan.

Bauska said the process of breeding is very creative.

“You’re like a mad scientist, matching up bloodlines,” he said with a laugh. “You’re creating something of real beauty. It’s hugely satisfying.”

His horses go to enthusiasts all over the world. Their names include the initials “MVA” for Morning View Arabians. Bauska’s website, www.morningviewarabians.com, announced the recent sale of Pstratega MVA to Al-Qenaei-Meshrif of Kuwait.

Bauska counts the contacts made through Arabian horses as some of the greatest pleasures of the operation.

“We have met some really fine people in this business. They’re from all walks of life,” he said. “A lot of them are very wealthy. They collect Arabs like collecting art. They enjoy all the aspects of the breed.”

Celebrity enthusiasts have included the late Patrick Swayze, William Shatner and Wayne Newton. Newton has attended Bauska’s annual party and may come this year.

For this 10th annual Garage Mahal party, he and Wendy sent out 2,000 invitations around the country and globe. Those who attend include breeders as well as those who just share Bauska’s passion for the beauty and spirit of Arabian horses.

He said people often ask him what is the No. 1 thing that he loves about the breed.

“It’s the heart of an Arabian,” he said. “There’s no ‘give up’ in them. People can learn a lot of lessons from them.”

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com .