Uma Musume, Master of Love

Winter 2002, Inaba Ranch, Hokkaido.

At high latitudes, it gets dark particularly early, but today, the heavy snowfall typical of Hokkaido only shrouded the evening sky in a gray haze.

This year, the ranches are indeed like the dead of winter, and the horse breeding industry has also fallen into a cold winter.

Oguri Hat's sister, the top breeding mares Oguri Roman, is in her prime, but she still hasn't conceived this year. The Oguri family's popularity has also faded considerably. Oguri Hat hasn't had a "date" this year and has decided to retire from breeding. The ranch is already preparing for tough times without the Oguri family's "support."

The staff have been feeling down lately, their expressions as lifeless as the horses brought back to the stables. But they can't rest yet; they have to keep watch, partly to prevent wild animals from breaking in, and partly because the heavy snowfall in Hokkaido is a real concern.

This evening should have been like any other, with staff routinely checking on the stables, adding some hay, and then checking again in the middle of the night. But getting in and out of the stables in this heavy snow was no easy task.

But the staff on duty tonight noticed something very unusual in the stables. The breeding mares were restless and neighing intermittently. Moreover, there were even a couple of faint neighs coming from outside the stables! The breeding mares responded with loud neighs.

The staff had been at the ranch for at least ten years, and this was the first time they had encountered such a situation. By the afternoon, they had already counted all the ponies, and there weren't many left on the entire ranch; the stables were completely empty.

Could it be that a wild animal has gotten into the stables?! The staff couldn't help but tremble with shock at this most plausible explanation. It's the dead of winter; what small animal could possibly climb into the stable pen? At this hour, the most likely candidate is a starving wolf!

With the tragic spirit of being the last line of defense for the ranch, the staff picked up pitchforks and headlamps, followed the howling outside, and prepared to hunt down the hungry wolves.

The neighing wasn't too far from the stables, but by evening the snow, half a meter thick, made it difficult for the staff to walk, and the dim light made them extremely careful.

As they approached the source of the hissing sound, the staff member trembled with fear and was about to throw his fork away!

In the dim light, he saw a ball of snow moving and making noise! ​​No, it was a white ball! And its size was clearly not that of a small animal!

The staff immediately thought of the legend of the Hokkaido polar bear, wondering if it was really a polar bear spirit coming out to eat!

The white ball of fur was still wriggling on its own, and the staff breathed a slight sigh of relief. Now it was time to take a shot and kill it before it could be discovered.

As they got closer, the staff noticed something was wrong. The white ball of fluff trembled again, shaking off a clump of snow. Then, in the staff's eyes, it tried to stand up but fell down again.

Thankfully, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief, since the little white dumpling only seems to have one breath left.

Now the staff had the courage to get closer and take a closer look, and finally the white ball of fur was revealed in its entirety—a small white horse only the size of a deer!

Even foals born that year, small enough to be as small as Lu Erjiu's wife, are rare. Moreover, pure white horses of this age are few and far between, and those so white that they blend into the snowy landscape are an extremely rare exception!

The staff stayed close and poked the little white horse with pitchforks to test its movements. The little white horse only wriggled slightly, let out a mournful cry, and then remained still.

This caused an uproar among the breeding mares in the stable. Hearing the foal's mournful cry, they thought their child was lost and began to whinny again.

The staff was now in a dilemma regarding the white horse. Leaving it there meant a restless night in the stables, and disciplinary action would mean bloodshed. Throwing it outside or keeping it would be problematic, as the horse couldn't stand up, which would require more staff intervention…

"You really know how to make things difficult in the dead of winter." Seeing that the little white horse was barely breathing, the staff finally gave in to their compassion and dragged the little white horse back to the stable to make horse soup.

……

The little white horse, perhaps having been chilled for half a day, thoroughly enjoyed the hot bath, scrubbing itself before standing up. Its white coat was soaked through, and the staff could confirm it was a mare, small and thin like a deer, with its ribs showing. It didn't seem to be from a nearby ranch, or, if they had to draw a conclusion, the little white horse looked more like a wild horse!

White wild horses in Japan! The staff laughed at their own conclusion. Even if white horses can't run, they are still valuable for viewing. How could they be abandoned in the countryside?

The staff were too afraid to feed the pony hay, so they found a temporary wet nurse for the white pony.

Oguri Roman, you're an empty foal this year, just a part-time nurse. You were the one barking the loudest just now, so that's you! The little white horse can barely stand; the staff has to hold her so Oguri Roman can feed her. Praying this white horse will pull through. At least there's some good news: Oguri Roman isn't resisting feeding Huiyi. Holding the little white horse, the staff suddenly remembered that the last horse to be held and fed was Oguri Hat…

The next day, news of a white wild horse running into the ranch spread far and wide. The ranch owner was quite pleased with the white horse; after all, even if it didn't run, it could fetch a price... He'd let it graze and run around after the quarantine period was over!

"But if you want the pony to run, you have to register its pedigree, right?"

"A small ranch has a small business, so it wouldn't have enough energy to fake, right?"

Let's take a look at the horses that are empty-bred this year... I've got it! Our top horse, Oguri Roman, is empty-bred or just a shinny, that's settled!

Call the owner of the small chestnut horse to share the good news and settle accounts! He got a white foal for free!

Amidst Koichi Oguri's bewildered laughter and tears, Roman Oguri not only became the babysitter of the white horse but also its "biological mother."

The little white horse then decided to go herd livestock with Oguri Roman.

Once the little white horse finished its quarantine and was finally able to move into the stables, the staff could finally relax. Although the little horse developed rheumatism from the cold, damp snow, at least it didn't catch any diseases and managed to get through the ordeal.

Watching the little pony waddle along the pasture, following Oguri Roman, the staff felt a glimmer of hope. Under the special care of the ranch, the little white pony's coat grew increasingly white and lustrous, drawing praise from the staff who often remarked on its radiance.

"Since we found it in the dim light of dusk, let's give it a bright name. Its nickname will be Bright."

……

The following year, Berry continued to herd horses with Oguri Roman, led by Oguri Hat, who had recently retired from breeding. Perhaps Oguri Hat could still remember himself as a child, as he took extra care of Berry, the smallest horse on the ranch, and even bit away any horses that bullied her.

Besides breeding ponies, the ranch also earned additional income from Oguri Hat's apprenticeships. The most frequent visitor to Oguri Hat was none other than his former local jockey, Ando Katsuki, for whom admission was free. This year, Ando not only visited Oguri Hat as usual, but also reported to him that he had finally become a Central Jockey and had even won G1 at the beginning of the year, allowing him to finally meet Oguri Hat with his head held high.

"Oguri!" Ando shouted Oguri's name as he arrived at the meadow. Sure enough, Oguri heard the call and ran over. After staring at the railing for a while, Oguri unusually ran off.

"Could it be that Little Chestnut Hat is on her period today and doesn't want to be with me anymore?"

Before long, Oguri Hat came running over, but this time, beside Oguri Hat—no, not beside, but biting the ear of a little white horse. The little white horse obviously couldn't resist and could only be dragged over. Ando looked at this abstract scene and felt that his jockey career had been shocked for the first time. He even forgot to report to Oguri Hat about going to the central government.

"Xiao Li, is this your child?"

No, normally a stallion doesn't recognize the foal it gave birth to, right?

Little Chestnut Hat brought the little white horse over, nodded to Ando, ​​nuzzled him, and went off to graze, leaving the little white horse and Ando staring at each other.

"so……"

The little white horse seemed angry at Oguri Hat, and kicked him in mid-air. Then it turned to look at Ando and trotted over. Only then did Ando realize that the little white horse was truly tiny, its shoulder height not even reaching Ando's shoulder, and its coat was a pure white that was completely out of place for its age.

The little white horse ran up to Ando and its first action was to tap Ando's chest with its head. Ando was surprised and delighted that a strange little horse would be so friendly to him.

"Oh! How come you know me so well? Did Oguri Hat teach you?" Ando smiled like a proud father. He was taught by Oguri Hat back then, and now it's his turn to teach Oguri Hat's daughter!

The little white horse seemed to understand but also seemed not to understand, then it nibbled at Ando's sleeve. Now it was Ando's turn to be confused. Logically speaking, what kind of horse would show such a high level of affection for a stranger, but it wouldn't be like this if it were biting someone.

Xing Xiaohai Bay Story? I doubt I'll have the same luck as Wu Feng and get chosen, will I? I still can't believe in a one-year-old horse!

Ando, ​​filled with doubt, rubbed the little horse and then lost interest. Now he was eager to find someone to ask him something.

Through their acquaintance, Ando easily met Liu Yinqi (II) Ba Si Shi VIII Ranch Owner.

"Today, when I saw Little Chestnut Hat, it brought over a little white horse in its mouth. The little white horse seemed to know me quite well; it nibbled at my sleeve as soon as we met."

"Little White Horse?"

“Small in stature, with a radiant white complexion, you must remember me.”

"Oh, it's Berry, the white mare. You said she bit your sleeve?"

"Then she's found the right person. She's a gift from heaven, oh, actually a stray wild horse that ended up on a ranch. She got rheumatism before being rescued and is now hanging around Oguri Roman's foal. She might really need your help to get her into the racetrack in the future. Maybe Oguri Hattori told her that!"

Ando was taken aback by the rancher's boldness and frankness: "Alright... if she can really go to the racetrack, then I'll consider it as me coaching Oguri's child. But... I hope she can be appreciated by the central horse owners."

"I heard that a white British horse recently arrived at Godolphin Ranch. It's a very rare bloodline, and the ranch treats it like a precious gem. Like Berry, Zizai, and Sisi, it's completely hidden away and you can't tell at all. But this horse is a hot potato in England, but not in Japan?"

……

"1000 meters in 70 seconds!"

The staff smiled with relief.

It's a miracle that a horse with rheumatism can even run. We usually don't dare to push this little devil too hard, for fear that he might not be able to stand up again. But thankfully, even if a white mares can't run, their ornamental and breeding value is extraordinary.

Well, someone weighing less than 400 kilograms and standing less than 1.5 meters tall can still cosplay as a miniature ornamental horse...

"No, we should let her be happy before running the test, otherwise this record won't be able to be auctioned off..."

"Aren't we considering keeping it?"

"At least you can get better connections in the central government, right? If all else fails, we can discuss a 50% stake."

"We'll miss the first auction in July. Let's see at the end of the year. Oh, and maybe we can have Ando make a cameo appearance? That might just make him stand out."

Completely bewildered by the situation, Ando was moved by the rancher's friendship and financial offer, and arrived at the testing site with a wry smile.

Although it was just a test conducted by the ranch assistant last time, if it can't even make it to the auction, even if I manage to ride it to the auction level by luck, I still won't be able to stand on the field, right?

Oh well, let's just consider it after-sales service for Oguri's family.

Ando arrived at the testing ground with a heavy heart, ready to see what Berry-chan would do.

After all, this was the first time I'd ridden a horse that wouldn't even be available at an auction.

The pony wasn't very tall, and Ando easily climbed onto it, without the pony resisting. It seemed that temperament wasn't the problem; was it a lack of strength?

But the ranch's riding assistants were already whispering to the ranch owner: "They can't hold back anymore. This white-haired guy stops causing trouble when he meets Ando, ​​right? When I go up there, he doesn't even budge."

Ando used muscle memory to guide Berry to the gate. Since the rancher had mentioned that the pony was recovering from rheumatism, safety should be the priority this time, and they should do their best. However, there's not much to expect from Oguri's child in terms of results.

With a muffled thud, the gate opened, and Ando plopped down on the horse's back.

This pony practically flew right past the gate! Even the runaway horses from the Central Station don't react like that! Is this really a horse from the Oguri family, or one trained at Inaba Ranch?

His mind raced, and Ando tried his best to adjust his posture, but he realized that Berry no longer needed riding commands.

At this escape-level speed, as long as they can hold out for more than half the journey, they will definitely be able to enter the auction.

The pony seemed to ignore the weight, maintaining its speed even after running halfway through the race. Ando was even able to experience the long-lost feeling of wind blades while riding on the pony's back.

Is this really Oguri's horse? Is it really the ranch's little darling? The rancher wouldn't be lying to me, would he?

Once the pony started to tire, the finish line was actually in sight. Ando, ​​already confident of victory, loosened the reins, stood up, and signaled Berry to slow down.

"1000 meters in 59 seconds!" This short-distance speed, comparable to Oguri Hat's debut race, has shocked everyone. However, his exhaustion after only 1000 meters is understandable. This speed seems normal for a runner who is escaping within 1000 meters. It shows that this young horse has decent speed, but his upper limit for adapting to race distances is not high.

However, this achievement can at least put the minds of those who care about the little pony to rest, as it is not appropriate to have it taken to the ranch for breeding too early.

As Ando dismounted, he was still pondering why the horse was so strange, but the rancher had already come up to him: "Ando-san, please continue to be Berry-chan's main jockey! Only you can bring out Berry's true potential!"

"Ah this..."

……

Hokkaido auctions in the second half of the year.

"Oguri Roman 2002, Father Deai, White Hair, Female, Starting Price 400 million yen."

"Test result: 1000 meters, 59 seconds!"

"Now we can examine the gait of the chess piece!"

When Berry was brought up, the bidding horse owners whispered among themselves, some of their words carrying a hint of hostility.

After all, Berry's gait seemed odd, and her incredibly high test scores were reminiscent of a pony whose legs would soon develop problems and require disciplinary action. No one dared to bet on another First Ruby instead of another Silent Suzuka. On the contrary, the ranch that dared to put the pony up for auction was more willing to gamble than the experts present.

But one sign was still held up.

"400 million yen once! 400 million yen twice! 400 million yen! Deal! The winning bidder is Satomi Haru!"

"So it was that newbie who only recently had some spare cash to gamble on horse racing in the central government. It's normal that he misjudged him." The whispers quickly fell silent, replaced by the silent smirks and regretful sighs of his peers.

That year, Satomi Osamu had just successfully completed the restructuring of Sega and had secured stable savings to meet the requirements of the Central Horse Owners. He really didn't have much of a budget, so coming to Hokkaido was just a chance to try his luck. Seeing that his colleagues weren't interested in this little white horse, Satomi Osamu raised his sign.

As it turned out, his fellow breeders were incredibly accommodating, allowing Satomi Osamu to win the prize on his first try. Perhaps they thought the horse wasn't good enough, but that's alright; if it really couldn't run, they could release it for display and breeding—it wouldn't be a loss. His breeders didn't need the small amount of money, but Satomi Osamu certainly did! Now he had to decide which ranch or stable to put the foal in!

When the auction ended and they were preparing to transport the pony away, the rancher, having passed the period of avoiding suspicion, approached Satomi Osamu: "I didn't expect this pony to actually find a central owner... Mr. Satomi, I have a few top-secret pieces of information to share with you regarding this pony."

I would like to hear the details.

"First of all, although this foal is said to be a foal of Oguri Roman, we have not been able to determine the specific bloodline of its father. Currently, it is publicly claimed to be De'E. However, since it is a white mare, bloodline is not so extremely important. After all, a mare that is likely to give birth to a white mare is itself very valuable for breeding."

"Oh……

"In addition, the pony's abnormal gait is actually a sequela of frostbite caused during its breeding. However, we assure you that this gait will not affect the pony's healthy lifespan or racing performance."

"Um?

"Finally, if Xiao Ma races, please make sure to designate Katsuki Ando as the lead jockey! Only Katsuki Ando can bring out 120% of Oguri Roman 2002's strength, or rather, Berry-chan's strength!"

"ah?!

Satomi Osamu finally couldn't hold back anymore. Had he somehow been transported into a world of strange rules by following Little Pony?! Although Ando was a jockey who was currently making waves at Central Jockey Club, it was ridiculous that Little Pony could have a specific person's name as a bonus!

"Sir, actually, Xiao Ma had already designated Ando Katsuki as his exclusive jockey half a year ago, and Xiao Ma, ridden by Ando, ​​ran 59 seconds in the 1000-meter test and still had energy left."

"This is truly an eye-opening experience."

Unexpectedly, I chose a pony with a strong sense of history and a unique personality. The last one was Super Stream, which shared the stage with Little Chestnut.

"Okay, I understand. But do you have any recommendations for stables? After all, I don't have a big budget."

"I would actually recommend the Setoguchi Tsutomu stable where Oguri Hattori and Oguri Roman trained back then."

"Actually, the fact that the pony was chosen by the central horse owner has put our minds at ease. To show our sincerity, our ranch is willing to cover most of the pony's feeding costs, and we are also willing to cover the cost of the Setoguchi stables."

Satomi Osamu was quite pleased to hear that the ranch had made such a sensible concession.

"Well, we can't let you lose out completely. You'll at least get a share of the stables' profits from the pony's bounty. And your ranch will also have a portion of the ownership of the foals the pony produces."

Although the pony's future is uncertain, the rancher thought that the hope of a bounty is always good.