Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 348 Was this overly frugal?

They returned to Hokkaido on the same day they watched the race at Tokyo Racecourse.

For horse owners, it might be a somewhat rushed trip.

However, for the breeders, such trips had long been a routine occurrence.

After the race, when we had dinner with Tanaka and Ishikawa, everyone felt that it was a race we had a chance to win.

"However, 1,800 meters on grass might be a bit too long. How about we try to shorten the range after we move to the central command?"

I received this advice from the trainer and rider, and as the horse owner, I accepted it with great gratitude.

After the fairly lively post-race chat, at Ishikawa's suggestion, they sang karaoke for almost two hours.

—You can't tell at all that Tanaka is a fan of girl groups.

As someone who is terrible at karaoke, he had no choice but to use his old, outdated karaoke stuff to get by, and he fled back to Hokkaido in a sorry state that very night.

Thus ended Pegasus' last match before moving to the central region.

"The auctions in Chiba and Hokkaido are both next week, right? Isn't President Kitano going to attend?"

At the Tokyo Racecourse, everyone I met asked me the same question, even industry insiders who weren't very familiar with me seemed quite curious.

Seemingly because of the approaching Derby Day, horse owners, who had been quiet for only one winter, are now fully recharged and ready to participate in the auction.

However, as a breeder and owner, he naturally hopes to find more excellent mare bloodlines or horses that might break out at auctions.

However, on the other hand, there are other practical considerations besides funding.

"After Sakuya retires, we'll have to tighten our belts and make ends meet."

"You're joking again."

"No, in fact, even the ranch's stables are running out of space."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that then."

Similar conversations have occurred more than once, but new people with connections continue to inquire about the auction through various means.

Therefore, they had no choice but to announce on social media that "the auction will not be held this year."

Besides familiar horse owners and breeders, surprisingly many horse enthusiasts also expressed their disappointment in the comments section.

—Although I don’t know why I’m disappointed.

The morning after returning to the ranch, before they could even catch their breath, they hurriedly set off again after finishing their morning work.

I forced myself to sit in the passenger seat, fighting off my sleepiness.

The destination is Yakumo-cho, Futami-gun, about 300 kilometers away. I arranged to meet the potential seller today, which was arranged last week.

This journey, which takes place via the Hidaka Expressway and the Hokkaido Transit Expressway, will take about four hours even without traffic jams.

That's why we had to leave so early.

"I already told you, if it's too tiring, don't go to Tokyo to watch the games."

"After all, it's Pegasus, so I'd like to support him in person if possible."

"So, the two matches at the end of the month will also be watched live?"

"This is a super luxurious two-day trip to two cities."

"Yeah, right!"

As he said this, Zepp, in the driver's seat, shook his head and fastened his seatbelt.

"If it were you, BOSS, it would definitely be one of those super cheap tour packages advertised on websites, right?"

That's true.

Completely irrefutable.

After a brief silence, his eyelids became as heavy as lead, as if sensing an opportunity.

Once the car door is closed, the sound of the tires driving over the road and the wind are so quiet that they are barely noticeable.

Despite being very sleepy, he would occasionally say a few words to Zepp, who was in charge of driving, to keep them both awake.

As the car crossed a small river, the navigation software displayed a message indicating that we were entering Tomakomai City.

The highway is lined with soundproof barriers on both sides, so even when you look out the window, you can't really tell that you've arrived in Tomakomai.

Forty minutes later, the familiar Hokkaido countryside scenery returned to the view outside the window.

"That must be Shetai Ranch, it's really big."

As he passed through Shirō-chō, Zep remarked with some emotion.

"Only a part."

Nevertheless, the pastureland seen through the car window still stretched as far as the eye could see.

To say I'm not envious would be a lie.

After leaving Shirōmachi, the car traveled along Uchiura Bay for about two hours, passed Tateiwa, and then exited the highway, finally arriving at its destination, Hanaura in Yakumo-chō.

Amidst the barren fields, a few small bungalows and shipping containers can be seen. There is no parking lot or similar space; the soil in front of the buildings has been leveled and covered with gravel, creating a small area that can barely be called a courtyard.

Zepp parked the car in a corner of the yard, with a crooked tree growing around a telephone pole right in front of the car window.

"This is even worse than Mejiro Ranch at the beginning—"

Patting his own face, the temporary driver uttered this remark.

After getting off the car, the two yawned in surprising unison.

"These vending machines are such a nuisance; they make it so inconvenient to park my car inside."

After getting off the bus, Zep stretched and said.

"Hey, that's the main contributor to our revenue, you can't be rude to it."

The man who stepped out of the container responded casually.

"Long time no see, Kudo-senpai."

"I see you on the news all the time, Kitano—"

He was a muscular, tanned guy who looked like he was from the rugby club, and he suddenly reached out to shake hands.

"...As expected, it's still the same as always, senior."

"Each each other!"

After a slightly delayed handshake, the other person's warm arm tightly embraced my shoulder.

"Although he doesn't look like it, this guy was my senior at Peking University."

Seeing the surprise in Zep's eyes, he pointed upwards and said this.

Moreover, it's the Literature Club, which is completely unexpected from its appearance.

"Please take care of me!"

After saying that, Kudo-senpai loosened his grip on her shoulder and led the way toward another, larger bungalow.

The bungalow, made entirely of corrugated iron, looks completely unrelated to horse racing or even agriculture, and the side facing the driveway has a sign that reads "OKAJIMA Automotive".

Looking around the room, Zep muttered something like, "Isn't this construction land?" and pointed to the leftover car repair tools in the corner.

"It's alright, it's alright, the land you want to buy is over there."

Kudo-senpai pointed to the land behind the smaller bungalow.

"Oh—that's quite big."

Zepp gave him a somewhat uneasy look, as if asking, "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"It's the long strip behind the ridge."

He patted the German on the shoulder reassuringly, then pointed to the green field ridges in the distance that served as a dividing line.

— An agricultural plot of land approximately 200 meters long and 25 meters wide.

Aside from being incredibly cheap, requiring almost no money to purchase, this land has no advantages whatsoever. It's said that even neighboring ranches skipped this land when they were trying to acquire it because they found it too uneven.

However, if the plan is limited to stables for horses to rest during the racing season, it can be considered reasonably appropriate.

During the conversation, Zepu, after returning from the field trip, switched to a look that said, "You've gone too far in saving money."

The saved budget can then be used entirely for stable construction.

Actually, that's the idea they had in mind.

"Speaking of which, why did Kudo-senpai decide to transfer the land?"

After all, he was the elder in the family who was supposedly forced to inherit the family business by his elders, so it's understandable that people would be curious about it.

"I'm getting married next month."

"Eh!"

I was quite surprised.

"After all, there are many things to consider. Although I wouldn't say I hate it, Hokkaido is not really suitable for married life."

"That's right."

I deeply sympathize with the inconveniences of Hokkaido.

"So, the old man finally agreed to let us go to Tokyo."

"Congratulations."

I always felt that this kind of thing was too far removed from my own life, and I didn't know what to pay attention to after hearing about it.

but--

The purchase of the ranch, or rather the land, has been completed smoothly.

(End of this chapter)