Horses Are Celebrities Too At VC History Museum

By Dan Kidder
Valley Center has long been known as a rustic getaway from the hustle and bustle of Southern California.
But those who live here may not know just how famous some of their neighbors might be. And not only their human neighbors, but some of Valley Center’s horses are celebrities in their own right.
“For a small, rural community, I’m constantly amazed at the number of celebrated individuals we have in town,” says Bob Lerner, curator of the Valley Center History Museum. “And animals too. Some horses are more famous than the movie stars. And the list keeps growing.”
To celebrate these celebrity horses, the Valley Center History Museum has put together an exhibit highlighting these famous animals and their Valley Center connections.
Disney’s new film Secretariat is captivating audiences with the story of the triple crown-winning racehorse. At the Valley Center History Museum, patrons can learn about the famous horse’s connection with our town through two of his descendants.
Other famous racehorses highlighted in the exhibit are Sea Orbit, the most successful foal of Seabiscuit in the racing world, along with a descendant of Seattle Slew and a championship-winning horse named Khemosabi.
For fans of the movies and of classic literature, one famous Valley Center horse will no doubt be of interest. Still residing in town is Blanco, the white Andalusian who played the role of Shadowfax in the Lord Of The Rings movies.
In addition, the Valley Center History Museum showcases some famous cowboys who have left their mark on our little community through years, including Randolph Scott, Gary Cooper, Big Boy Williams, and John Wayne.
“These were cowboys who rode their own horses,” Lerner says. “There were no stunt doubles.”
The museum has a wealth of artifacts from the estate of Steve Reeves, the actor best known for playing the title role in the 1957 movie Hercules. On display at the museum is Reeves’s saddle, which Lerner points out was present at Reeves’s memorial service when the actor died in 2000.
“A lot of people ask, ‘How did these people get here?’” Lerner says. “Of course, there is no one answer, but a few of us have speculated about it. Back in those days, movie stars had it in their contracts that they could only live a certain distance away from Hollywood. So we figured that some of these cowboys wanted to know how far they could get away from the big city and still honor their contracts, and Valley Center falls into that.”
The exhibit featuring Valley Center’s famous horse connections opened on Oct. 8 and will continue through December.
The museum, located at 29200 Cole Grade Rd. is open Tuesday-Saturday from 1–4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the Web site at www.valleycenterhistory.org or call 760-749-2993.