Six horses bred at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center took first place or other top honors this fall at a national competition.
The horses all competed Oct. 23-31 at the U.S. National Arabian Horse Show in Tulsa, Okla., which is the most prestigious North American championship in the Arabian horse show industry.
“When Cal Poly Pomona horses win at a national event like this, it sends a clear message to the Arabian horse community that we are producing horses here that are capable of not just competing, but winning at the highest level of competition that we have,” said Cindy Reich, the center’s breeding and herd management specialist.
Success also attracts students the horse center and buyers to the center’s horse auctions, she added. In addition, it means that owners of the best Arabian stallions in the country will continue to donate breedings, Reich said.
The six horses were:
- CP Shenanigan, which is owned by Katherine Kirby, won the National Champion Arabian Breeders Sweepstakes Arabian English Pleasure Adult Amateur Owner to Ride (AAOTR) Jackpot. In the breeders’ sweepstakes, owners nominate an unborn foal for the program, banking that they will be competitive. The Arabian English Pleasure class is for horses that are very animated in their movements and must show a lot of style and motion. It is one of the most demanding classes of all the English disciplines. The AAOTR class is for amateur riders who are also owners.
- CP Zandyr, which is owned by Valerie Sylla, was named National Champion Arabian Hunter Pleasure Adult Amateur to Ride (AATR) Select and placed in the Top Ten Arabian Breeders Sweepstakes Arabian Hunter Pleasure AAOTR Jackpot. The Arabian Hunter Pleasure class is a show class that is in the “style” of Hunter horses that are capable of going cross country and covering a lot of ground. It is still a “show” class, so the horses are more stylish than a formal Hunter horse. Obedience and manners are paramount in this class. Adult Amateur to Ride is for amateurs who show the horse, but do not have to own it. Zandyr was named a unanimous national champion in the finals after competing in several elimination rounds and defeating 42 other entries in the process. meaning all three judges ranked him first out of the 43 horses competing.
- CP Cozmopolis, which is owned by Lauren Aguilera, was named National Champion English Show Hack AAOTR and Reserve National Champion Arabian Country English Pleasure AAOTR 19-39. The English Show Hack class uses the same equipment as a dressage rider at the Olympics, and the horses are incredibly athletic and required to do 11 different gaits.
- CP Valiant, which is owned by Stachowski Farms, finished in the Top Ten Arabian Country English Pleasure Futurity class. This category is only open to horses that are three years old in the English Pleasure class. This is a very important class to determine who the best young show horse prospects may be in the coming years.
- CP Regent, which is owned by Mineola Properties, also finished in the Top Ten Arabian Country English Pleasure Futurity class.
- CP Neon Riot, which is owned by the GAA/DPA Trust, finished in the Top Ten Arabian Mounted Native Costume Championship, a class where the horse and rider are dressed in Bedouin attire. The horses are judged on the quality of the movements, obedience, and willingness. The costumes have more “bling” than traditional Bedouin attire, and the horses are more animated, as this is a “show” class.
The horse center auctioned off the six Arabians to their current owners in either 2017 or 2019. CP Cozmopolis and CP Zandyr were sold as 3 year olds in the 2017 WK Kellogg Arabian Horse Center auction, and CP Valiant and CP Regent were sold as yearlings in the 2019 auction.
The auctions provide the public an 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.
An auction format is used instead of private sales to ensure transparency and fair market pricing.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Arabian Horse Show was closed to the public. Only horse owners, trainers, and horse farm personnel were allowed. Masks were required and other precautions were taken.
The show was livestreamed online.