Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 237: Run Fast

The next morning——

As soon as he opened his eyes, Kitano reflexively reached for his phone and turned on the screen.

【4:25】

It's a little late for a summer morning.

Without lingering in bed any longer, he threw off the covers and forced himself to get up.

Even though I deliberately went to bed earlier, my sleep quality was still terribly bad.

As a result, although I managed to open my eyes, my head felt incredibly heavy and dizzy, as if it were filled with lead.

As I stretched, I caught a glimpse of the curtains swaying slightly out of the corner of my eye.

The air conditioner's cool air cleverly avoids the body, dutifully maintaining the room temperature within a comfortable range.

Through the gap in the curtains, lifted by the airflow, I could just see the northern morning light shining through the glass window.

It's a sunny day, and it'll probably be very hot today.

There are still four days left; I should be able to hold on.

After finally getting through a morning filled with complicated work and auction follow-up matters that left me utterly exhausted, another battle of mental and physical exhaustion was about to begin.

Today's target is the two ends of the mare.

The numbers were slightly easier than on the first day.

but--

The numbers that appeared were distributed with one end pointing forward and the other backward.

Early evacuation is impossible, at least for today.

"Wake me up when we get there."

Not long after the car started, Kitano uttered this sentence.

Then, he let out a big yawn.

The moment I closed my eyes, my consciousness sank.

Zepp's "No problem" response was so faint it seemed to come from a distant underwater source.

When I opened my eyes again, my vision was filled with the familiar scenery outside the car window.

We've arrived at the Hokkaido market.

Before the weather got too hot, I quickened my pace and headed toward the exhibition area.

"I feel like they're all mud-type horses."

Looking down at the different hooves by the roadside, Zepp, who has a history of such behavior, offered his first opinion of the day.

A rare and insightful argument.

In Hokkaido, the horse-producing region, there has been a discussion for many years about whether breeding mud horses would be more profitable for sales than breeding turf horses.

On the one hand, while JRA's turf races are glamorous, the competition among small and medium-sized ranches is extremely difficult due to the overwhelming dominance of the North Ranch Group.

On the other hand, with the increasing prize money in local horse racing events, the demand for dirt track horses is also rising in tandem.

Many new horse owners have taken advantage of the "mud track craze" of recent years and plunged headlong into the NAR system of horse racing.

This is the so-called "grassland versus mud" problem.

For breeders outside of large ranches, the situation has become extremely difficult.

If the breeding of mudskippers follows market demand to drive growth, the ranch's income will likely become more stable.

Every year when horses are sent to auction, those foals from popular dirtfield stallions and in good condition attract special attention during the pre-auction comparison display, and buyers and owners flock to the temporary stables.

In contrast, foals with a clear grass foot type face the completely opposite situation.

Therefore, one can almost judge a foal's gait quality by observing the buyers and owners gathered around it.

Although this technique is only applicable to the summer auction and the two subsequent autumn auctions.

and--

There will always be exceptions.

"Good morning, Kitano-kun!" After dealing with the horse buyer who was consulting him, Kimura waved and greeted him warmly.

Good morning, Mr. Kimura.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kimura, holding the leash, proudly introduced the foals representing Newborn Ranch at the auction.

"Well, this is the foal born to the Opera Lady and New Year's Day!"

Grassland horses from short distances to medium- to long distances—

This is the selling point that Newborn Ranch has created for the deer-haired ponies in front of them.

"At first, I tried to select several breeding partners for Opera Lady, and they all showed very tenacious grass footing. However, their range and speed depended more on the influence of the paternal line."

"That's why we chose New Year's Day, when Masakoma performs well in both short and medium distances."

Kitano looked thoughtful.

It is indeed a pony with a range from one mile to mid-range, and its range adaptability seems quite good.

Unfortunately, speed and fighting spirit are somewhat lacking.

"That's right! Rather than the dual-wielding attribute that allows you to use both grass and mud, I'd prefer that you inherit the ranged ability."

Smiling, Kimura patted the pony's head and continued, "As for the mud horses, let Miss Pro handle them all!"

Even after breeding world-class dirt racehorses like Mejiro Sakuya, Kimura's breeding principles show no sign of changing.

At Xinsheng Ranch, which is famous in Japan and even the world for its muddy terrain, several mares have always maintained a grassland-oriented breeding policy.

"The most important thing is to pursue and breed speed-type horses suitable for grasslands."

When Kimura said those words, there was no hint of disdain for mud wrestling on his face.

Pure speed—

This is the breeding direction he has been pursuing for a long time.

The two, both horse breeders, unexpectedly found common ground in their pursuit of harmony.

Although, with the advice of the advisory group, Kitano's choice became bolder.

"I believe that horses with absolute speed can perform well on both grass and dirt tracks."

"Only the fastest horse can win the race."

Because of the system, Kitano could empathize with this point.

During a casual conversation with Wu Feng, the two talked about famous horses from their memories.

"Running fast" is the word Wu Feng mentions most frequently.

This answer left a deep impression on Kitano.

Running fast is actually not a simple matter.

In addition to stride length and airtime, strong cardiopulmonary function, powerful legs, and elastic muscles are also required for support.

"If you don't aim to breed horses for grasslands, you will never be able to produce top-notch horses."

After saying this in a firm tone, Kimura seamlessly switched to his slick, business-like manner to greet the buyers who came forward to inquire.

At summer auctions, yearlings with a grass orientation are usually at a relatively weaker position.

but--

The marketing aspect seems to be able to make up for the shortcomings to some extent.

Quietly saying goodbye to Kimura, Kitano strode towards the next exhibition area.

"Compared to top-notch breeders, they are still far behind."

My complacency stemming from yesterday's achievements has subsided.

They approached the upcoming second day of the auction with even greater seriousness than yesterday.

The result was a day without any gains.

When the auction ended, I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.

"They're all guys with pathetic speed—"

(End of this chapter)