Arabian Horse Production Sale Shatters Records

The W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center shattered records at its Third Annual Production Sale on Aug. 2

The center sold 11 Arabian horses during the online auction, grossing $126,950. That broke the 2015 record of nearly $75,000 for 18 horses.

CP Helios, a yearling colt, sold for $56,500, breaking the record for the highest sales price for an individual horse. The previous record of $26,000 was set in 2015 by CP Charmming Notions, a 3-year-old mare and national-caliber English prospect.

“I’ve run out of superlatives to describe the production sale,” says Jeanne Brooks, the center’s director.

CP Helios got a high price, because he is an exceptionally high-quality English prospect who shows potential to be a breeding stallion, she says. The horse center does not have the proper environment to raise a young stallion, so the decision was made to offer him as a yearling.

“It’s important to note that even without CP Helios, average prices were higher than last year, proving the industry recognizes the high caliber of horses and training available at the W.K. Kellogg program at Cal Poly Pomona,” Brooks says.

Other notable sales sold include CP Zandyr, a 3-year-old black gelding, who went for $20,500, and CP Cozmopolis, a 4-year-old grey gelding, who sold for $19,000. The horses were bought by breeders, trainers, and individuals in eight states from California to Massachusetts. Most will go onto show careers, but a couple were acquired for pleasure riding.

Almost all of the horses can trace their bloodlines back to the original Arabian horse herd that cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg owned and raised on his Pomona ranch. Breeding is made possible through the generous support of stallion owners in the Arabian horse industry, who donate breeding from some of the industry’s leading stallions to the center.     

Brooks credited the center’s staff and students for the successful sale, including John Lambert, the center’s equine operations manager, who led students through training the horses, worked the phones with industry leaders, and turned out horses to prospective buyers in top condition; Cindy Reich, a world-renowned expert who was hired earlier this year to oversee herd breeding and management, supervised the farm crew students in feeding and caring for the horses; Marie Nagano, a livestock technician who ensures the center runs up to the standards of a world-class operation; and Lauren Corona, who oversees the administrative processes at the center.

About 20 staff and students watched the live stream of the auction at the center. The students saw that good things happen if they worked hard, held high standards, and represented the organization with impeccable character, Brooks says. 

“Watching them watch Helios sell for more than $50,000 was beyond fun,” she says. “I dare say it was a moment they will not soon forget – a high-impact learning experience to be sure.”

The auction provides the public the opportunity to own some of the finest Arabian horse blood lines in the world, while also generating funding to support the horse center’s educational and outreach programs.

In 2013, then-University President Michael Ortiz issued a directive that established the goal of producing 15 to 20 foals at the center every year and holding an annual auction to sell the majority of the 3-year-old foals born on campus that had not been previously sold.

An auction format is used instead of private sales to ensure transparency and fair market pricing. Oklahoma-based Addis Live Auctions facilitated the event for the third consecutive year.

The auction is held annually in early August, because it falls between events on the horse show circuit, which many trainers and breeders attend.