Cal Poly Pomona Celebrates W.K Kellogg Arabian Horse Center's 50th Anniversary
The W.K Kellogg Arabian Horse Center is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its new stables facility with a horse show on April 14, weather permitting.
Located on the east side of Cal Poly Pomona’s campus, the horse center is open to the public and welcomes visitors for self-guided tours during weekdays.
In 1932, cereal magnate Will Keith Kellogg donated his 750-acre ranch to the California State University system with the stipulation to continue his legacy of breeding Arabian horses and hosting Sunday horse shows every month. CPP still utilizes the old stables built by Kellogg but shifted all horse operations to the new stables constructed on campus in 1974.
The new stables house horses when they are not grazing in the pasture or being trained by the horse center staff. The horse center is currently home to 70 horses, most of them descendants of those owned by Kellogg as long ago as 1925.
Executive Director John Lambert oversees the activities at the horse center and is proud of how far the Kellogg Arabian Horse Center has gone.
“The Arabian horse is the first domesticated horse,” Lambert said. “Their breed has been domesticated for roughly 5000 years now and it’s always helping propel them into the future. That is a responsibility that I hold close to me and it’s the same responsibility Mr. Kellogg had 100 years ago when he started his venture. It was specifically to promote this breed and breed high quality Arabian horses and provide resources of education and so that is what the next 100 years are about.”
Every academic year, the horse center selects a new crew of students to live and help at the center where they muck the stalls, assist with foaling, and other tasks assigned by the farm manager. These students are “live-ins” and balance life at the horse center with their academics.
Live-in student Leticia Vaz spends her early mornings with four other live-ins cleaning the stalls and feeding the horses from 6 to 8 a.m. Between the morning chores and when she starts her classes for the day at 1 p.m., she assists the veterinarian or helps where needed. After her classes finish mid-afternoon, she finishes her day by feeding the horses dinner.
“I love the opportunities they give me,” said Vaz. “There are so many veterinarian hours, handling opportunities, and training I can get from this job. The friendships I’ve made through this job are great because they’re people who are on the same path as I am, so it’s nice to have these connections after I graduate.”
More than 100 years later, the horse center stands as one of the country’s biggest Arabian horse breeding programs and as a stepping-stone for future equestrians, equine veterinarians, and animal science majors.
“While I’m currently helping lead the Horse Center into the next century, it’s guided by Mr. Kellogg’s intentions when he left all of this, and that guides my work every single day,” said Lambert.
The Horse center will be holding a Sunday show on April 14 from 2-3 p.m. to commemorate the 50th anniversary. Tickets and more information can be found here.
Non-major affiliated students can also get involved at the Kellogg Arabian Horse Center through the Horsemanship Club on campus.