| Early on in the history of the Arabian horse's arrival to | | | | Calvary Endurance Ride three times with their Arabian |
| America, the newly formed Arabian Horse Registry | | | | horses. At that point, Mr. Brown gained permanent |
| wanted a way to promote the horse in the United | | | | possession of the U.S. Mounted Service Cup. Albert |
| States. The directors of the Arabian Registry | | | | Harris wrote in his history of the Arabian Horse |
| determined the best way of doing this was to get the | | | | Registry: |
| Army interested in using and breeding Arabian horses. | | | | "... after 1923, the Arabian people decided not to enter |
| This was a substantial investment by the Arabian | | | | their horses in the ride. This was done "so that the |
| Registry because it took a lot of time, money and | | | | Army would have a chance of winning the cup the |
| energy to prove to the Army and their cavalry majors | | | | next time." |
| that Arabian horses made the best cavalry horses. | | | | Actually, there was one exception. The Arabian people |
| In 1908, the Army had established the U.S. Remount | | | | allowed the U.S. Remount Service to enter an Arabian |
| Service, a horse cavalry unit. Its goal was to supply | | | | stallion, El Sabok #276, in the 1925 endurance ride. The |
| hundreds of thousands of horses for military use. To | | | | stallion ended up taking first place but he was not |
| get the U.S Remount Service interested in Arabians, | | | | awarded the trophy because of a small welt raised |
| W.R. Brown, president of the Arabian Horse Registry | | | | under the cantle (projecting rear part) of his saddle. |
| at the time, organized the first Cavalry Endurance Ride | | | | The U.S. Department of Animal Husbandry noted, |
| in 1919. With a high regard for purebred Arabians | | | | though, that of all stallions of various breeds entered in |
| overseas and their growing popularity in America, this | | | | all of the rides, El Sabok was the first and only one to |
| was a perfect time to convince the government and | | | | finish a ride. |
| the Army's Remount Service to breed them. | | | | Fully convinced that Arabian horses had tremendous |
| Unfortunately, there were only 362 registered Arabians | | | | endurance, the Army planned to develop a supply of |
| in the country in 1919. With so few Arabians, it was not | | | | saddle horses that could be called to service if needed. |
| an easy task to find enough of them to adequately | | | | Since Arabian horses were scarce at the time and |
| represent the breed in the endurance ride. Even with | | | | difficult to obtain, the Army's breeding program didn't |
| this challenge, the Arabian horses made a superior | | | | really get off the ground until 1941. This is when the |
| showing, taking most of the prizes including first place | | | | Arabian Horse Registry directors decided to donate |
| in the endurance ride. W.R. Brown won first place on | | | | the nucleus of an Arabian stud to the U.S. Remount. |
| his purebred Arabian mare named Ramla #347. She | | | | Each director and Mr. W.K. Kellogg (of the Kellogg |
| carried 200 pounds during the ride. | | | | cereal company) personally donated one or more |
| The second Calvary Endurance Ride took place in | | | | horses. A total of one stallion, seven broodmares (six |
| 1920 and this time, the U.S. Remount Service was | | | | in foal), one suckling filly, and three two-year-old fillies |
| much more involved. The weight carried by the horses | | | | were placed at the Fort Robinson Remount Depot in |
| was increased from 200 pounds to 245 bounds. The | | | | Fort Robinson, Nebraska. |
| horses traveled sixty miles a day for 5 days with a | | | | By 1943, the number of Arabian horses the Army |
| minimum time of 9 hours each day. The Arabian | | | | owned was second only to the number of |
| horses fared well again as they had the highest | | | | Thoroughbreds they owned. Later that same year, |
| average points of any breed entered. This time, | | | | W.K. Kellogg (an Arabian Horse Registry Director from |
| however, a grade Thoroughbred that was entered by | | | | 1927 to 1940) and Albert Harris, helped the U.S. |
| the Army took first place. | | | | Remount Service gain possession of Mr. Kellogg's |
| Albert Harris, the Arabian Horse Registry Director from | | | | Arabian stud in Pomona California. The stud was |
| 1924 to 1949, believed that the Thoroughbred Jockey | | | | originally given to the state of California, but with World |
| Club gave the Army $50,000 in 1921 so that they could | | | | War II heating up, the U.S. Remount Service felt they |
| purchase the best Thoroughbreds they could find in | | | | had a need for it. In October of 1943, Mr. Kellogg was |
| hopes of beating the purebred Arabians entered in the | | | | successful in getting the California Board of Regents |
| 1921 endurance ride. Mr. Harris wrote: | | | | to turn over the Arabian Ranch (and 97 purebred |
| "With two endurance rides to the credit of Arabian | | | | Arabian horses) to the U.S. Army for use as a |
| horses in 1919 and 1920, the U.S. Remount, and | | | | remount station. The ranch was owned by the War |
| incidentally the Jockey Club, felt something had to be | | | | Department from 1943-1948 and was known as the |
| done to beat these little horses in the next ride...". | | | | Pomona Quartermaster Depot (Remount). |
| The Army purchased several grade Thoroughbreds | | | | Later in 1948, the Army decided to dispose of all its |
| and planned to have Cavalry majors ride them. The | | | | horse operations to the highest bidder. In June of 1949, |
| Army also wanted the carried weight limit reduced | | | | President Harry S. Truman signed a bill which |
| back to 200 pounds. Since the Arabians had proven | | | | transferred the ranch back to the W. K. Kellogg |
| their mettle at 245 pounds, the Arabian Registry | | | | Foundation. On July 2 of that same year, the California |
| objected. Eventually, a the two sides compromised at | | | | Legislature passed Assembly Concurrent Resolution |
| 225 pounds. | | | | No.100 which favored the transfer of the ranch from |
| In spite of the Army's efforts to have their grade | | | | the Kellogg Foundation to the California Polytechnic |
| Thoroughbreds beat out the Registry's Arabian horses, | | | | College. To this day, the school continues to maintain a |
| the first prize in the 1921 Cavalry Endurance Ride went | | | | prestigious Arabian breeding program. As warfare has |
| to W.R. Brown's purebred Arabian gelding, Crabbet | | | | become more technological, the Arabian horse has |
| #309. W.R. Brown, with his Anglo-Arab gelding named | | | | made its transition from the Army to being used in |
| Gouya, won the trophy for the third time in 1923. | | | | various equine sport activities and an endeared equine |
| W.R. Brown (and the Arabian Registry) had won the | | | | to horse enthusiasts and families. |