Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 291 Thank You Letter

After the visit to the Gumoa Ranch, all you could see when you looked up was the same unchanging gray sky.

The inability to determine the time by observing the sky seems to be a characteristic of the British region.

I took out my phone to check the time; it was 4:29 PM.

It's a bit too late for afternoon tea, and too early for dinner.

So they decided to go to Kasher, where their hotel was located, and slowly scrolled through apps to find nearby restaurants.

Zooming in slightly reveals a dense array of cocktail icons on the screen.

On the central road of Kasher, there's probably a house every two steps.

There are just too many bars!

"Actually, these are all for tourists from other places."

While I don't want to be bound by the stereotype that "all Irish people are alcoholics," hearing this from a local rental car driver carries a subtle, negative persuasive power.

The decision was made before the rental car came to a complete stop.

The closest place to the drop-off point is a family-run pub called "Mikey Ryan's Bar & Kitchen".

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and almost everyone had their collars turned up and their hands deeply tucked into their pockets.

After crossing the intersection and walking along the tree-lined path strewn with fallen leaves, I followed the software's directions and successfully arrived at the family-run pub.

There were still quite a few customers at this time, with the bar area crowded with middle-aged men.

"President Kitano, over here."

The sound came from the window seat.

"President Fujita?"

Logically speaking, the possibility of two horse owners meeting is indeed quite high.

However, I never imagined that I would meet him in Ireland, a foreign country.

Fujita, having adopted local customs by donning a stand-up collar trench coat, was holding a brochure promoting ancient Moa's stallions.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they sat down and quickly discovered that they shared the same purpose for their visit.

Investigating the stallion.

"In the end, I succumbed to the allure of horse racing."

Fujita smiled and shook his head.

"Shouldn't we be setting up the ranch next?"

"At least we haven't reached that point yet."

"Who knows what will happen in a few years?"

"Haha, you're right!"

During our casual conversation, I pointed to the menu and ordered a few dishes.

"President Kitano, I have some questions about mares that I'd like to ask you, a professional, for advice."

While drinking his coffee, Fujita suddenly asked in a serious tone.

"Asking for advice is too polite; I'm just a beginner."

After the breeding scheme of "Godmour Anna x Golden Horn" was exposed, the professional competence of the breeders will likely be questioned for quite some time.

Hoping to attempt independent breeding as a horse owner —

I wasn't surprised by Fujita's choice.

In recent years, the number of horse owners choosing to breed their own horses, both at the central and local levels, has been steadily increasing.

Once you've accumulated some experience as a horse owner, you'll often find that it's more cost-effective to buy racehorses at auctions and breed them with your own mares.

On the other hand, requests such as "I hope to have a foal with a certain type of mate" are often not easily fulfilled through auctions.

"The most important thing is still the mare."

While it's true that getting your hands on a mare you like, or a good mare, isn't actually that simple.

"Then I'll be joining President Kitano in bidding for breeding mares at future auctions."

"Please forgive me for that." After making a joke, Fujita asked another question—

How to handle a foal after it is born.

"Whether to keep it or sell it is best to decide during the breeding stage."

Whether in Japan or Europe and America, many breeders repeatedly emphasize phrases like "I'll keep it if it doesn't sell" or "I absolutely won't sell it for less than a certain amount" when consigning horses for sale.

Although there are also those like Mr. Sugiyama who buy back their own horses at auctions with their own money to make a show of it.

However, the essence of an auction is still about matching quality with price.

From the buyer's perspective, horses listed for sale by the owner rather than the breeder are more likely to raise speculations such as "Is the horse that gentleman put up for auction not that good?"

The results show that the market also prefers foals bred by professional breeders for auction purposes.

Fujita nodded repeatedly at these words.

"Also, does President Kitano have any recommended stallions for pairing with?"

"What about Rodin? Perhaps he was more successful as a stallion than as a racehorse."

This is on the premise that the difficulty in controlling one's temper is ignored.

"Haha, then I'll write that down."

Fujita smiled and shook the manual, making a mark on the page dedicated to the prolific master, seemingly quite seriously.

After that, I finally finished off the croissant and steak with the newly ordered coffee.

When I dragged my exhausted body back to the hotel, even the width of my eyes when I opened them was uneven.

When I woke up, it was already early the next morning.

After barely managing to finish the disappointing free breakfast, I set off for neighboring England.

Although they set off early, they arrived at Aston Cross, near Overbrybo Ranch, in the afternoon.

After another ten minutes of swaying in the taxi, we finally arrived at Overbry Ranch.

The lawn is beautiful.

If I had to find something to praise, this would probably be the only thing.

Whether it's the stallion warehouse, the stable office, or the stallion stables further away, they all look like they've been repaired many times and are full of historical traces.

This is the first time I've seen a ranch even smaller than Mejiro Ranch!

Thinking this, I took my phone out of my pocket.

However, before they could contact any staff at the ranch, a tall, thin, bald man emerged from the stables office near the highway.

“I am Kitano, who had made an appointment to visit you.”

“I am Simon Swetting, the ranch manager of Overbrybo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

After I gave my name, the man warmly extended his hand.

So, I simply shook his hand.

The intensity wasn't as exaggerated as that of the Americans.

Slightly relieved.

“We now have a total of six stallions, and your mare can mate with any of them.”

As he spoke, Simon walked toward the stables.

"And what about the Golden Horn?"

“He has a very good eye. His physique, strength and temperament are top-notch, which is why his foals are always successful in national hunting races.”

Simon shrugged, adopting a more relaxed tone than when they first met.

"As for the quality of mating, please rest assured that while other stallions are busy, Golden Horn will provide your mare with a more elegant experience."

As he spoke, the bald man went into the stable first and pointed to a stable on his left.

"Who knows, he might even write her a thank-you note afterward."

(End of this chapter)