Correspondent

PLEASANTON — From racing, to rodeos and ranching, the horse has always played a large part in the history of the Valley.

The Museum on Main will open a special historical exhibit on Wednesday that tells the tale of the horse from the 18th century, when the Spanish controlled the land as part of the San Jose Mission, to the current day.

"The Horse of Course! Horses in the History of the Amador-Livermore Valley" bridges the past to the present to show the valley's deep horse heritage. The display includes historical Spanish-style artifacts, saddles and lariats as well as photographs and posters that span the later part of the 1800s through modern times.

The display includes a recreated blacksmith shop, and photographs of all horse activities during those times ranging from cattle ranching, farming and transportation to recreational activities.

Today, most ranchers use automotive vehicles for ranch work, although some still prefer horses.

"Machinery can't replace a good ranch horse that is conscientious and intelligent," said museum curator Ken MacLennan.

The display also includes pictures and posters of horse racing in the Valley, which goes back to 1859 when a racetrack was built at Rancho del Valle de San Jose (now Pleasanton). The Pleasanton track at the Alameda County Fairgrounds is the oldest operating one-mile track in America and horse races are held each summer during the county fair.

"Standing at the finish line. The power and strength of the horses are truly amazing. Hearing the thunder of their hoofs crossing the finish line is a real rush," said Jeanne Wasserman, manager of the fairgrounds' satellite racing.

The track is used for training during the rest of the year and many horse owners prefer training on this track over synthetic tracks because it is dirt. But betting goes on year-round at the satellite betting facility at the fairgrounds, where there are daily thoroughbred and quarter-horse races as well as the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and Belmont races shown by satellite.

The exhibit will also display an autographed photo of Russell Baze winning his 10,000th race, making him the winningest jockey in North American history.

The exhibit opens Wednesday with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be a Community Roundup event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 13.

"We are committed to our neighboring communities and families," said Jennifer Amiel, the museum's education director. "This (roundup) event will be fun for the entire family. You can watch cowboys teach lariat skills and then try your hand at it ... You can also design your own cattle brand, string pony beads (dating back to Pony Express days), make-and-take a pony puppet, and more."

Both events are free.

The exhibit runs from March 10 through Aug. 15. The museum is located at 603 Main St.