August 29, 2013, Pomona, California ~ A week of festivities in early October will mark the 75th anniversary of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Founder of the Kellogg company, Will Keith Kellogg, known as W.K. (April 7, 1860-October 6, 1951), became known for his cereals. A vegetarian, his strict dietary principles led him to the processing of grains into flaked cereal. He and his brother marketed this cereal under the name, Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, which later became The Kellogg Company.
In 1925 he purchased 377 acres for $250,000 in Pomona, California, for an Arabian Horse Ranch. Starting with a group of horses imported by Homer Davenport from Arabia, Kellogg then imported horses from Lady Wentworth’s Crabbet Arabian Stud. The ranch, a popular attraction, became a Hollywood connection. The silent film star, Rudolph Valentino, rode the Kellogg stallion, Jadaan, in the 1926 movie, Son of the Sheik.
Kellogg was known for his philanthropy throughout his life. In 1949 Kellogg donated the ranch, now 750 acres, to the University of California at Pomona.
The once-in-a-lifetime Arabian Horse Center Reunion and Open House honoring the 75th anniversary of the ranch will be held on the weekend of October 5 and 6. The Kellogg Arabian Horse Show will take place October 6.
Tours of the Kellogg Mansion, the brand new W.K. Kellogg Arabian horse library, the original Kellogg stables, and the Arabian Horse Center will also be available.