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Arizona Republic Story
February 21, 2008
Section: Scottsdale Republic North
Baske Afire sells for $2.8 million
Kate Nolan, The Arizona Republic
In 15 minutes marked by hoof beats and crowd outbursts, a top Arabian horse called Baske Afire sold for $2.8 million at Cedar Ridge Farms in Scottsdale, setting a world record for the highest-priced Arabian stallion sold at public auction. The 9-year-old breeding horse, which already has spawned a generation of champions, went to Barbara Chur, owner of Strawberry Banks Farm in East Aurora, N.Y. But only after Chur and others bid the price up nearly $1 million dollars in the blink of an eye.
A well off crowd of 3,000 attended, including movie producer Jon Peters, who this week purchased Ferrar, a black stallion from Midwest Training Centre in Scottsdale, which he plans to star in a movie. Others from around the globe touted the buying power of their currencies over the U.S. dollar. Most were in town for the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show at WestWorld, which runs through Sunday.
With Baske Afire trotting along a 50-yard runway, auctioneer Curt Rogers called out in his staccato monotone, "I've got $2.8 million, give me $2.9 (million) if you care to buy a great horse. No one can tell what this horse is really worth ... I'm going to sell this horse, but before I do I'm going to ask Jim Stachowski to stand up."
As Rogers took a breath, the stallion's lifelong trainer, Stachowski, rose to cheers and applause, and then the gavel came down. Chur, who has raised Arabians for 30 years and owns more than 80 of them, said she doesn't think about the money.
"Just the horse," she said. "This is the most rewarding thing. We're hoping this horse does as much for the Arabian industry as BASK did," Chur said, citing the Polish horse whose genes produced most of the top Arabians since the 1960s, including Baske Afire.
Publisher of Arabian Horse Times, Walter Mishek, said Baske Afire's price was the highest paid for an Arabian stallion at auction, although higher amounts have been paid in private sales and for mares.
Horse people were elated as much for the deal as for the showy auction that harkened back to the 1980s. Back then, the Scottsdale Arabian show was a backdrop for expensive barn sales every evening of the show's 10-day run. These days, Cedar Ridge is one of the few farms that hold public auctions and is seen somewhat as the “Tiffany” of the auction business.
The auction continued with a filly sired by Baske Afire. The impassioned crowd gave its greatest roar of the evening when a trainer appeared leading out Baske Afire to rub noses with his beautiful daughter. Her price leapt by tens of thousands of dollars in seconds. The successful buyer was Mr. Claire Larsen, owner of the National Champion Stallion SA Pyro Thyme.
Copyright (c) The Arizona Republic. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
