W. K. Kellogg & Cal Poly Pomona by Arabian Horse World

F O U N D AT I O N B R E E D E R S

W. K. Kelog & Cal Poly Pomona BY MARY JANE PA R K I N S O N

�� Mr. Kellogg never stopped admiring Antez (Harara x Moliah by *Hamrah) and credited the stallion with saving his life when they took a tumble on a trail ride. Antez was sold to Travelers Rest where he established a speed record, then went to Poland for several years, and came back to the United States. Mr. Kellogg was then able to repurchase Antez, and he lived out his years in California.

The worldwide Arabian horse community owes a large debt to cold cereal. The path from the boxes of cereal on breakfast tables to one of the country’s leading equine university programs involved many colorful events and people. A quiet and introspective millionaire; Carl Raswan, an adventurer of the first water; the noted Lady Wentworth of Crabbet Stud in England; dozens of film stars and aspiring film stars; University of California administrators; the United States Army; the Nazi forces of World War II; and an array of the most sparkling lights of the Arabian horse breed. At Battle Creek, Michigan, W. K. Kellogg worked for his brother Dr. John Harvey Kellogg at “the San,” a fashionable sanitarium of the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Dr. Kellogg

wanted to develop health food items for the San patients, and the project was delegated to W.K., along with dozens of other tasks. (W.K. worked 120 hours one week and had no vacation until he had been on the job for more than seven years.) In 1894, one of the experimental batches of cooked corn was somehow allowed to stand for several days before further processing. In spite of its age, W.K. put the mixture through a set of rollers and out came the world’s first corn flakes. Americans came to love the convenience of cold breakfast cereal, as opposed to cooked porridge, and orders rolled into the Kellogg Company, the company that W.K. started in Battle Creek. He soon found a worldwide market for his products, and prosperity was his. One day, much to his disbelief, W.K.’s accountant told him that his

industry and innovation had made him a millionaire. This news gave Kellogg the means to realize his childhood dreams. One of those dreams involved the acquisition of a “whole stable of Arabian steeds.” He spent part of the winter of 1924-25 at Palm Springs, California, and one day drove to Indio, California, to look over Arabians at Chauncey Clarke’s Point Happy Ranch, an American version of a desert oasis. There he encountered Carl Schmidt, the manager of the farm. Kellogg tipped him $1.00 for showing him the horses. Schmidt refused the tip, and Kellogg was impressed. After some self-searching and negotiation, Kellogg bought the entire stock of the program and all the horse equipment, and he specified that Carl Schmidt (a native of Germany who had

F O U N D AT I O N B R E E D E R S

W. K. Kelog & Cal Poly Pomona BY MARY JANE PA R K I N S O N

spent years with the desert tribes) stay with the horses and become a Kellogg employee. The buy included 11 horses, almost all descended from the Arabians Homer Davenport imported from the desert in 1906. Kellogg wrote to his son John L., then president of the Kellogg Company: “I do not expect to ever make any money out of these Arabs,

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Mr. Kellogg called this photo “The Three Graces” and distributed it to his friends and business associates, and it was widely printed in newspapers.The photo was taken late in 1925 and shows Deyrak, his dam Arak, and Fasal.

but I expect to have some good times with them. I went to Indio day before yesterday, and yesterday I spent some time riding the horses. They are very docile.” Because Kellogg had bought horses before he bought a ranch, the horses were kept at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds at Pomona while he shopped for land. Schmidt had grand ideas for a future Kellogg Ranch. He envisioned an Arabian “kasr” on a hill with towers and turrets, arches, large enclosures for the horses, and a collection of exotic animals that he predicted would become known as a “piece of paradise.” Kellogg, a practical sort, searched California deserts, inland sites, and coastline, and finally purchased 377 acres near Pomona for $250,000. He hired architects, contractors, landscapers, water systems experts, and interior decorators who built a 30-horse Spanish-style stable, a Spanish-style home for Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg, a trainer’s cottage, a home for W.K.’s son Dr. Karl Kellogg (who managed the ranch development), and his family, temporary stabling for the Arabians, and farm buildings. By the end of 1925, Kellogg owned 19 purebred Arabians, after additional purchases of Davenport

�� W. K. Kellogg’s success as an entrepreneur was of the bootstrap variety. He began working in the family’s broom factory in Battle Creek when he was seven. By age 14, he was a successful broom salesman and, in his late teens, managed a broom factory in Texas.

lines from the nearby Diamond Bar Ranch; the first crops were in the ground; and Carl Schmidt would soon be on his way to England to shop for more foundation stock. Schmidt came back to California

All the Kellogg Arabians (the 1925 purchases and the Crabbet imports) moved into the new stables in mid-July 1926. That same spring, Rudolph Valentino, one of the most popular of the 1920s film stars,

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When the Crabbet imports arrived in Pomona in April 1926, they were kept at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds until the stables were completed at the ranch. ABOVE: Left to right, the mares and foals in the importation: *Raida (Nadir x Rabla), *Farasin (Rasim x *Ferda), *Ferdisia (Rafeef x *Ferda), *Ferda (Rustem x Feluka), *Rasima (Daoud x Rose Of Hind), *Rasafa (Rafeef x *Rasima), *Rifla (Rasim x Rim), *Rifda (*Nureddin II x *Rifla), Bahreyn (*Rizvan x *Battla), and *Rossana. RIGHT: *Rossana (Skowronek x Rose Of Hind by Rejeb) was considered the beauty of the importation and was well used in publicity for the ranch.

in April 1926 with 14 Crabbet Arabians, including the first Skowronek progeny (two sons, two daughters) to be sold by Crabbet. *Raseyn was destined to become an important sire of the Skowronek line, and he won at halter in important Southern California shows and learned jumping. *Raswan (by Skowronek) became a source of disagreement of ownership between Schmidt and Kellogg, Schmidt contending that the stallion was a gift to him personally from Lady Wentworth, and Kellogg sure that any gifts to his agent were his. *Raswan was badly injured when Schmidt took him off the ranch, and had to be euthanized. Schmidt took Raswan as his surname when he was naturalized a few years later.

borrowed the stallion Jadaan (one of the Clarke purchases) for use in the silent film The Son of the Sheik and took him to the filming location near Yuma, Arizona. When Valentino died a few months later, Jadaan become almost as famous as the actor. Jadaan was promoted as “the horse Valentino rode,” and thousands came to the ranch to see him. Hollywood agents soon discovered the beauty of the Kellogg Ranch as a backdrop for publicity photos of their charges. Gary Cooper, Clara Bow (the “It” girl), Tom Mix, Laura La Plante, Anita Page, Victor McLaglen (who rode Jadaan in the Tournament of Roses Parade), Dorothy Dwan, Olivia De Havilland, Loretta Young, Joan Marsh, Ronald Reagan, and more all posed

happily with the Arabians, and the ranch and the Hollywood crowd enjoyed the subsequent publicity. Jadaan’s use in The Son of the Sheik was only the prelude to 17 more films in which Kellogg Arabians were used in a variety of roles. Many of the films were of the blood-and-sand type, but the Arabians adapted well to various locations and roles. The Kellogg Ranch soon became a major tourist attraction, as many visitors came to see the then-rare Arabian horses. The Kelloggs developed the famous Kellogg Sunday Shows, a display of the Arabians in various disciplines and, always a favorite with the crowd, the mares and their foals. A show arena was built near the stables, and, during the Great Depression, visitors appreciated the fact that the shows were free. Mr. Kellogg bought more foundation stock in these years, horses from Egypt and Spain, and from Indiana. He developed a correspondence with W. R. Brown of Maynesboro Stud in Berlin, New Hampshire, and Albert W. Harris of Chicago. The three of them, as the top breeders in the country, realized they should work together to ensure the continuation of Arabian breeding in the United States.

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Here are some of the Kellogg-bred or -owned sires that helped to put the Kellogg Ranch on the map. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ferseyn (*Raseyn x *Ferda by Rustem), for many years a leading sire of champions; *Nasik (Rijm x Narghileh by Mesaoud), a crowd favorite who passed on his famous trot; *Witez II (Ofir x Federacja by Burgas), one of the “prizes of war” stallions; *Raseyn (Skowronek x Rayya by Rustem) who was trained to five gaits; Abu Farwa (Rabiyas x *Rissletta by Naseem), a leading sire of champions, and his son Farlowa (x Farlouma by Farana); Reign On (*Bask x Spring Rain by *Bajram), Scottsdale Champion Park and Canadian National Champion Park; and Farana (*Nasik x *Farasin by Rasim), unbeatable as a stock horse.

�� Movie stars soon discovered the beauty of the Kellogg Ranch as a backdrop for publicity photos. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: *King John with Marlene Dietrich in The Scarlet Empress; Gary Cooper and Clara Bow with Antez; and Rudolph Valentino with Jadaan in Son of the Sheik.

Almost from the time he bought the first Arabians, Mr. Kellogg considered turning the ranch and the horses over to a college or university to ensure the perpetuation of the Arabian breeding program. This he did in May 1932, in one of the splashiest events in Southern California. The crowd was estimated at 25,000 — they even crowded the roof of the stables — and nearly that many were turned away. The crowd was presented an expanded version of the Sunday Show, and radio and newsreel people were on hand. Comedian-cowboy Will Rogers emceed the presentation ceremony, wherein the governor of the state of California accepted the ranch and 87 Arabians,

the ranch to be operated as a part of the University of California Davis. Kellogg also gave the university a $600,000 endowment to pay ranch expenses. H. H. Reese, a manager Kellogg hired in 1927, stayed on in the new arrangement, as did most of the ranch employees. The Sunday Shows continued, as specified by Mr. Kellogg. But all did not go smoothly. Kellogg felt the university people were not taking good care of his beloved

ranch and that there was minimal interest in horse husbandry and experimentation. In short, the fences were down, and the weeds were up. After several years of wrangling and high-volume arguments, the university was persuaded to turn the ranch over to the U.S. Army for use as a quartermaster depot. World War II was well under way, and horses were still used in warfare. The Remount bought up horses all over the United States and

stallions were posted where breeders used them for their own and others’ mares to produce warhorses. The Kellogg home, which Mr. Kellogg retained in 1932, along with a home for his son, and the trainer’s cottage were all turned over to the Remount, along with 94 Arabians, farm buildings, some Percherons (a popular event in the Sunday Shows), several ponies, ten dairy animals, and some Half-Arabians. The gift was valued at $1,385,000, a figure some persons considered low. All the Arabians from Remount depots in the western United States (including the three Mr. Kellogg donated in 1941) came to the ranch, and became part of the Remount breeding program. The Sunday Shows were continued although wartime rationing limited some aspects of showing off the horses. The Army launched a number of ranch-improvement projects, many of which were completed by Italian and German prisoners of war housed at the fairgrounds in Pomona. The Italians loved the ranch; the Germans were still preparing to win the war and take over the world. In spring 1946, a much different shipment of horses arrived at the ranch. The Nazis marched into Poland on September 1, 1939, and within weeks they had discovered the wealth of the Arabian herd at Janow Podlaski State

Stud near the present Russian border. After some indecision, the Russian army, advancing from the east, briefly took over the stud and personnel. Then a wartime agreement between Germany and Russia put Janow into German territory. As they left Janow, the Russians confiscated about 100-plus of Poland’s choice breeding animals for their Tersk Stud. Later, under the new agreement, the Germans came back, took over Janow, and managed it in accordance with good horse husbandry. In 1942, the Nazis took some of the choice stallions and mares to the village of Hostau, Czechoslovakia, where the Germans maintained a stud to produce

“super horses” for war. As World War II was winding down, American troops learned of the stud at Hostau. They effected a noble and colorful rescue of the American prisoners of war held there and about 300 horses (Lipizzaners, Thoroughbreds, part Arabians, and purebred Arabians), just ahead of the Russian army advancing from the east. After some sorting-out, the Arabians were caravanned to Monsbach, Germany, and after a further sortingout, loaded into a Liberty ship bound for the United States. The horses were kept at Front Royal, Virginia, for a while, then the Arabians and a few

�� Evening visitors to the Cal Poly campus are treated to this lovely sight of the front of the stables.The Kellogg show arena was just a short ramp away from the courtyard of the 1926 stables. Note the sign on the left wing of the stables. W. K. Kellogg always tried to establish the connection between his Arabian horses and his cereal products.

The dedication of the ranch and horses to the University of California brought crowds from miles around, a crowd estimated at 25,000. At left, Captain William Banning, who delivered the notables in a grand entrance in his antique stagecoach; Will Rogers, cowboy philosopher who emceed the dedication program; California Governor James Rolph Jr.; and W. K. Kellogg, who presented the ranch and the Arabians to the state of California.

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Lipizzaners were dispatched to the Pomona Remount depot. The horses are often referred to as the “Patton imports,” although the rescue is believed to have been completed with General Patton’s knowledge, but not at his direction. Eighteen purebreds, from some of Poland’s choice bloodlines, along with a few from Hungary and Yugoslavia, came to the ranch and became part of the breeding program, and they were incorporated into the Sunday Shows. The imports (“prizes of war”) included Arabians to become important to the

breed in the future, such as *Witez II , who sired his own dynasty of working and endurance horses, and *Iwonka III, the maternal grandam of *Bask. Postwar, the depot continued to be an attraction to visitors, but it also became a center of controversy as the Army realized that war had become mechanized and warhorses were obsolete. The only hope for the ranch was that the Remount be transferred from the War Department to the United States Department of

Agriculture. This was done in 1948, but turned out to be only a stopgap, as by the following year the Department of Agriculture had no funds to operate the Remount and its four depots. The operation was scheduled to be closed. More than 100 Arabians were sold at a sealed bid auction, equipment was scheduled to be sold at the ranch, and the land itself was expected to be turned over to the War Assets Administration for disposition as war surplus property. Late in 1948 several carloads of Arabians were shipped to Fort Reno, Oklahoma, where they were

scheduled to be sold at auction. Sunday Shows were discontinued, the first break in the shows since late 1926. W. K. Kellogg, now age 88, was quoted as being “greatly hurt” by the decision to sell the ranch. He had not been consulted and felt that when the gift was made to the Remount the breeding program would continue in perpetuity. Ultimately, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, a philanthropic entity founded by Mr. Kellogg in 1930, like the Cavalry, to the rescue. Kellogg Foundation officials made the necessary contacts in Washington, and the secretary of the Department of Agriculture was persuaded to cancel the sale of more stock. By the end of December 1948, the foundation had entered into an agreement with the Department of Agriculture to maintain the ranch and the horses, the department to continue to operate the farm and, if practicable, to resume the Sunday Shows. The California State Board of Education quickly went into action on the prospect of state acquisition of the ranch. Board members wanted to make the ranch a part of the nearby San Dimas branch of California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly was known from coast to coast for its learning-by-doing and “upside-down” educational philosophy, an approach whereby students got practical field experiences in the early years of any program. In that way, they were better fitted for employment in their fields if for some reason they could not complete the four years for a degree. More political maneuvering followed, and finally at the end of June 1949, the transfer of the ranch was accomplished. Two railroad cars of ranch Arabians were returned from Fort Reno, and Mr. Kellogg was quoted as feeling “very much elated over the prospect that this property will be continued in the future as originally planned.” The Kellogg Foundation specified 12 points of agreement and the deed to

the property contained 22 terms and conditions covering the operation of the ranch and the maintenance of the Arabian herd. Under the new ownership, the Kellogg Arabians again competed in Southern California shows, 14 animals were sold at auction at the ranch, and Mr. Kellogg planned to personally own some Arabians. The Cal Poly challenge then was to demonstrate to the world the capabilities of the purebred Arabian in a variety of disciplines, to show how horses in general might be improved by the infusion of Arabian blood, and to productively involve students in those efforts.

�� ABOVE: Sanibel (Sands x Farala by Farana), through her beauty and the quality of her produce, earned the title “The Queen” of the Cal Poly herd. LEFT: The Kellogg/Cal Poly Arabians held great appeal and provided inspiration for daydreams for children.Thursday shows (in addition to the Sunday Shows) were presented especially for schoolchildren.

The first of the ranch traditions to be renewed by Cal Poly was the participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. For 1950, the draft horses pulled a covered wagon, reminiscent of the 1930 entry. The Arabian Advisory Committee was established, a committee of “not less than five members who have expert or superior knowledge in the propagation of Arabian horses, their characteristics, uses, and development.”

Members of the committee were appointed by Cal Poly and approved by the Kellogg Foundation. The foundation stipulated that four stallions and 30 broodmares comprise the Cal Poly herd. A number of outside stallions were approved for the breeding program, many of them tracing to Kellogg lines. Sunday, March 12, was the day that showed the world that the ranch traditions were to be kept. For the first

time since November 22, 1948 (when the Department of Agriculture discontinued the Sunday Shows), the Kellogg Arabians were presented at their showcase best in the Sunday Shows format. More than 3,000 visitors came streaming into the parking lot and overcrowded the bleachers. The 15 acts included driving horses, stock horse routines, trail, dressage, hackamore, saddle, and trick horses who brought down the house. Early in March 1951, the management of the ranch was turned over to Gordon Stocking, DVM, a Michigan resident. He was instrumental

�� In 1974, when the Arabians were relocated to the new Arabian Horse Center, student Bob Rauperstrauch took this lovely photo of the old stables and inscribed it for his fellow students: “This is for those who remember The fun we had, The work we did, The horses we loved, The people we knew. Nothing in this great universe Can ever take that from us.”

in arranging for the lease of Abu Farwa, a chestnut stallion of Kellogg lines, noted as one of the leading sires of the breed. “Spide” Rathbun, who through his Hollywood connections, brought many of the movie people to the ranch in the 1920s and 1930s, now put his talents to work on a special show sponsored by the Arabian Horse Association of Southern California at the ranch. He borrowed elaborate costumes from Cecil B. De Mille of Hollywood directing fame, and arranged a costumed historical pageant with all characters mounted on Arabian horses. Show crowds saw Queen Victoria, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Paul Revere, Tamarlane, Queen Isabella, Catherine the Great, Napoleon, Valentino, Marc Anthony, and more in a special matinee feature of October 7, 1951. The fun

and excitement of the show were sharply diminished when news came of the death of W. K. Kellogg at age 91 at Battle Creek. Perhaps the show itself and the Arabians’ versatility comprised a fitting tribute to Mr. Kellogg. Neither the show nor the quality and quantity of the show horses might have existed except for his efforts. For the next years, Kellogg Foundation and Cal Poly people were busy planning the physical layout of the campus, scheduling public uses of the facility, occasionally hosting royalty, marketing Arabians, and hosting local Arabian shows in the show arena. Through the 1950s and early 1960s, the breeding program was highlighted by Abu Farwa and his son Farlowa, Courier (by *Raseyn), Alyf and his son Farlyf, Alert, Zadir, and Sands. The managers during this time

(after Dr. Stocking was called into active duty) went to Harold Davy, then Willie Williamson, Walt Clements, and Glen Gimple. Charles A. Smith (who was hired in 1929) remained the star trainer, noted for his versatility, and Tony Amaral trained a series of trick horses for the Sunday Shows. All under the watchful eye of the Arabian Advisory Committee members who met twice each year to inspect foals, make decisions on selling or keeping, and deciding which stallions should be used in the program. In fall 1963, Norman Dunn, an instructor in the beef division of the agricultural program, taught several classes in the horse division, then was asked if he was interested in the department manager job. He decided yes, he was, acknowledging that he had much to learn about the Arabian horse business. He was announced as manager as of March 1, l964, and turned out to be the most durable manager of all. Mr. Dunn recommended that Cal Poly mares be bred to outside stallions on a paying basis, rather than the trade or donation of previous years. The Arabian Advisory Committee gave its blessing to the idea and nine outside stallions were selected, their owners to be approached. Among the stallions: *Bask, Fadjur, The Real McCoy, and *Bajram.

Mr. Dunn was a strong believer in giving students major roles in the training and showing of Cal Poly Arabians, and students were often presented with their charges in the Sunday Shows and in outside competition. The Arabian Horse Association of Southern California worked with Cal Poly personnel to develop annual Horsemanship Clinics, the profits going to scholarships for students in the program. In 1966, Cal Poly Pomona, was separated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and became officially known as California State Polytechnic College Pomona. Mr. Dunn began writing a monthly column for Arabian Horse World, recounting foaling news, show results, research projects, evaluation of horses in the program, course offerings, and plans for the future. By 1967,

college officials recognized that with an enrollment of about 20,000 students and more buildings needed on campus the Arabian horses would someday be moved to another location on campus. Where were the horses to go? Again, the Kellogg Foundation to the rescue, this time with the provision of funds to build an entirely new facility to the east and slightly south of the old, very near the area Mr. Kellogg devoted to an airfield in 1927. Construction on the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center began in spring 1973, the basic design in the same Ushape as the old stables. Late in the year, the last showing of the horses at the old stables came when the stallions and new Sunday Show stars were paraded before a stand-up crowd in the courtyard, in much the same manner as the very first shows of the late 1920s. The horses

�� RIGHT: Norman Dunn, director of the Arabian horse program, occasionally appeared in the Sunday Shows, along with the students. Here he presents Kello-Gwalor (*Gwalior x Sanibel by Sands), a yearling colt.

�� LEFT: Three grey beauties, all *Bask daughters and all descended from Sanibel in tail female: Spring Charm, Spring Dream, and Bountyful Queen.

were moved to their new quarters in February 1974, an event that left the old stables empty for the first time since mid-1926. No longer were mares and foals grazing just across the street from the University library; no more traffic jams on campus as students stopped to watch the wonder of a mare foaling in the stables pasture; no more nickers and whinnies a few hundred feet from a classroom. The dedication of the new Arabian Horse Center had many of the same elements as the 1932 presentation of the ranch to the state of California — a large crowd, speeches, presentation of awards, and the Sunday Show. At the new Center, students and staff looked forward, planning for new competition, new acts in the Sunday Shows, and the foal crops of the

�� ABOVE: Cal Poly trainer Mark Stinson and Cascade Of Rain (GG Jabask x Alicias Rain by Barbary) take their victory pass as 2000 Canadian Top Ten Hunter Pleasure Junior Horse.They won the same honor at Scottsdale in 1999 and 2000. RIGHT: Foaling season at the Arabian Horse Center always brings excitement to the program. In the 1992 foal crop, CP Heat Wave (The Heat Ison x Spring Rain by *Bajram) brought smiles to staff and students.

future. The Cal Poly gelding Raslowa (Farlowa x Raswi), ridden by student Gary Mullen, brought in the first U.S. National recognition when he went Top Ten Stock Horse. More Nationals winners were to follow, the brightest light of all the stallion Reign On, who, with Allison Elwell, brought down the house and earned a rare standing ovation at Scottsdale 1986 when he went Champion Park Stallions and Show Champion Park. In 1989, Reign On (*Bask x Spring Rain) repeated the Scottsdale wins and added Canadian National Champion Park. November 1980 brought the happy ending of four years of planning and effort by university staff. The idea of an Equine Research Center was first presented in fall 1976. Plans were drawn for the $300,000 structure and equipment, and the drive for funds began. The Oak Tree Racing Association contributed $267,000, and 11 individuals and foundations contributed more than $1,000 each. No state funds were used. More than 200 persons attended the dedication of the 3,500-square-foot Equine Research Center (adjacent to the Arabian Horse Center). Several research projects were already under way, and the director of the center emphasized that the center would entertain any professional project from the community. In 1990, the Oak Tree Racing Association contributed an additional $120,000 for the expansion and equipping of the ERC, and an additional $140,000 in 1992. A form of recognition for the quality of the work at ERC came in 1990, when 12 students were accepted to veterinary schools. In 1984, some of the Cal Poly Arabians traveled to Los Angeles to be part of the excitement of the Olympic Games. Students and horses participated in the “Cavalcade of Horses” and a mare and her foal were favorites of the crowds. Professor Dunn served as a volunteer, assigned as chief steward for the dressage events,

supervising schooling, longeing, warmup rings, and tack stewards. In 1985, Cal Poly and friends observed the sixtieth anniversary of Mr. Kellogg’s first purchase of Arabian horses. The Arabian Advisory Committee met for two days and discussed many topics, among them the need for establishing a second female line in the Kellogg herd. In the show world, Tu Fire (Baske-Tu x Charm Eta) and Request (Kharibe x Charm Eta) were the headliners. Altogether in 1985, Cal Poly Arabians (in 12 shows) won a total of 86 awards, including seven championships and reserves. Anniversary celebrants saw a special edition of the Sunday Show, spent the cocktail hour at the Kellogg home, toured the old and the new stables, and reminisced and planned ahead at a banquet in Kellogg West, a continuing education facility built by the Kellogg Foundation. Dr. Eugene LaCroix, a member of the advisory committee, cited the growth of the Arabian breed in the United States: 556 registered Arabians when Mr. Kellogg bought his first breeding stock and more than 330,000 in 1985. He cited the Kellogg influence in this pattern of nationwide growth and the Kellogg inspiration for dozens of American Arabian breeders. In 1994, after 30 years directing the Arabian horse program, Norm Dunn retired. In his retirement letter to Dean Christensen, he wrote, in part: “I will miss my longtime friends at the center as we all lived many dreams and saw a tremendous number come true. My own dreams of breeding champion horses, teaching great equine leaders, developing a strong research and adult education element to the program have all been realized.” Although he asked that his retirement be a quiet event, students, faculty members, university officials, and members of the advisory committee gathered at the center to wish him well. August 1 was Norm Dunn’s last day on campus and he was off to West Virginia where his wife

�� Bill Hughes, director of the Cal Poly Arabian horse program, is a graduate of Cal Poly and was a longtime instructor in the College of Agriculture. At home, he’s a trainer and breeder of Arabians.

Cecile was setting up a college equine program. Five weeks later, he died, following surgery. His death came as a shock to the global Arabian horse community. He loved the Arabians and he loved his work with them. As he told his friends, “Who could be so fortunate as I am to get up every morning and look forward to going to work?” Gene Graham, a former employee of the Kellogg Foundation, was appointed as the two-year interim director of the program. In June 1996, when the two-year appointment ended, Gene reviewed his accomplishments: breeding 19 mares in one year, facilitating the Hucklebey Berry breeding package (a move that gave the center some fine sales years later), trying some new things with the Sunday/Thursday shows, and establishing the Equine Breeding Lab. “Breeding mares was the biggest challenge in all my livestock career,” he noted. “I loved the problem-solving aspects of the breeding season. But the best thing was the work with the people — the trainers, the students, and staff members.” Happy money came to the program in fall 1998 when the Kellogg

Foundation presented a $1,500,000 endowment for Arabian horse-related entities. Endowment earnings were earmarked for the Arabian Horse Center, the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, and the Arabian Advisory Committee. At about the same time, Bill Hughes, a longtime instructor in the College of Agriculture was appointed associate director of the Arabian Horse Center and in 2001 was named director. “My prime goal is to breed better and better Arabian horses that will not only enhance our program and improve our reputation, but will provide a service to the breed as a whole,” Bill noted. “What we need to do is become more visible, promote our program more effectively, and to involve the students in a more meaningful way.” Bill noted that more than 30,000 persons were introduced or reintroduced to the Arabian horse in 2000. “We have almost unlimited research potential and the ability to showcase the Arabian horse in ways unique to the campus.”

In 2000, W. K. Kellogg’s grandchildren and spouses joined guests at a dinner party that celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Kellogg herd. From left to right: Helen and Norman Williamson Jr., Keith and Janet Kellogg, and John Williamson.

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The actual seventy-fifth anniversary of Mr. Kellogg’s first purchase of Arabians was celebrated in several ways. Founders Day, usually scheduled in the fall, was moved to April 7, W. K. Kellogg’s birthday, and marked by a parade (including Arabian horses) through the campus; the introduction of the program’s new stallion Buckingham Bey V (Huckleberry Bey x Bachista V); a wine-tasting party at the old stables; a dinner at Kellogg House Pomona (the original Kellogg home on the ranch restored to its 1927 look); Broncofest (a student-oriented campus celebration); and “Kellogg Day” at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, which featured films of the 1920s, reminiscences from Mr. Kellogg’s grandsons, and the appearance of Anita Page, one of the film stars who visited the ranch in the 1920s. Cal Poly Arabians put the frosting on the seventy-fifth anniversary

cake by making 2000 one of the best show years for some time. Currently, Cal Poly offers two bachelor’s degree programs involving the Arabians: Equine Science, which prepares students for occupations in nutrition and research; and Equine Management, a program that prepares students for occupations in reproduction, farm management, and training. In the center stalls, Buckingham Bey V reigns as king, and he is available to outside mares. Fifteen foals are expected in 2007, sired by Baske Afire, Allience, Triften, Mamage, Citation, Cytosk, Afires Vision, HF Mister Chips, Da Vinci FM, SF Specs Shocwave, Anza Padron, and Enzo. The facility continues to expand. In 2005, a new hay barn and student boarding barn was built, funded by the Kellogg Foundation. Plans for the future include a new breeding/foaling barn and relocating the W. K. Kellogg

Arabian Horse Library (now housed in the old stables) to a new structure at the center. Cal Poly students and Arabians currently enter four to six shows each year. Current stars are CP Rhapsody, a winner in western pleasure, and CP Spell Bound, a champion in hunter pleasure. The Intercollegiate Horse Show Team brings honors to the program, competing in English pleasure and western pleasure. In 2005, the Western team finished fifth at the national level. One measure of the influence of the Kellogg/Cal Poly Arabians is the number of persons who saw them at the Sunday Shows and were inspired to get involved with the breed and/or to buy foundation stock from the ranch. Among those: the Warren Buckley family (Cedardell Farms), Jim and Edna Draper, Harry and Katie Harness, William Randolph Hearst, Dr. Bert and Ruth Husband, Dr. and Mrs. Eugene LaCroix (Lasma Arabians), Frank and Helen McCoy, Neal and Marj McKinstry, the Leland Mekeel family, Alice Payne (Asil Arabians), and Bazy Tankersley (Al-Marah Arabians). The Arabian Horse Center is home to 121 Arabians that are being cared for by some 150 students. At the Arabian Horse Center the enduring promise of the program comes through the happily engaged students, grooming, saddling, and riding and fantasizing about “someday” show triumphs; through the curiosity and industry of students and staff absorbed in research projects; and through the center pastures where mares graze contently, their bellies bulging with year 2007 foals. W. K. Kellogg would be pleased.