Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 44: Victory of Nature

"Demon King Opera! The fourth-ranked Demon King Opera is catching up! With only a hundred meters left, Mudaiba maintains a one-length lead."

The sound of hooves is approaching from behind.

Then, there was a continuous sound of whips.

The chaser and the chased.

If it becomes a one-on-one duel, the pursuer approaching from behind will have a clear advantage.

This is common sense.

Ochiai tried his best to control the shaking of his body.

The Demon King Opera from the outside and the Glass Doll coming from the inside were attacking Medaima from the left and right.

Right now, the situation is very bad.

No matter how the outcome is decided, the person trapped in the middle will definitely be the first to be eliminated.

The three horses gradually came to a side-by-side position.

Under the earmuffs, Mudaishima's gray ears were pressed tightly back.

A rather obvious exhalation sound came from the nostrils that were dilated to the limit.

The challengers' offense was quickly responded to.

Even the sand kicked up by the hind hooves seemed to be a little higher.

However, the situation began to develop in an unfavorable direction.

Raising his arms, Ochiai tried to push forward.

It doesn't seem to have much effect.

He lost his balance and fell onto the horse's back.

"Can you please stop causing trouble at this time?"

If Meda Hirano could speak, he would definitely say this.

He quickly gave up his clumsy push.

Have a clear understanding of your own abilities.

At a time like this, it's better not to cause trouble without permission.

"From now on, you can only rely on yourself."

His eyes were fixed on the finish line not far ahead.

Although we have been exploring and adjusting tactics according to the situation of the game.

However, now is the time to make the final decision, or to go all in.

There is only one road ahead.

A slight feeling of suffocation began to spread in my chest.

On the track, the fight between the three horses continues.

Heavy breathing mingled with each other in the air.

Looking up and forward, there seemed to be something burning in Baima's eyes.

"The third-rank glass doll and the fourth-rank Demon King Opera are hot on our heels, but—"

The hind legs kicked forward suddenly.

For a brief moment, the head and neck of the reed-haired horse almost became a straight line.

"Sixth Division's Medahiram escapes and wins!"

After loosening the reins, it took some time for Ochiai's consciousness to return to reality from the wandering state.

"MEJIRO——"

In the stands, there was even louder cheering than before the game.

"Yes, I won."

Slightly relieved.

If we had lost the game, there wouldn't have been this level of cheering.

Then, there were a few sporadic Ochiai calls.

He raised his head in surprise and waved in the direction of the sound.

After putting his hand down, he patted Muten's sweat-soaked mane.

The reed-haired horse shook its head slightly and gasped heavily.

"It seems that you have reached your limit."

Loosening the helmet that was tight on him, Ochiai thought a little tiredly.

"I actually won."

The moment he crossed the finish line, Kitano's face was slightly moved.

[Horses under your name won three races: 3/3 (completed)]

[Reward: Green Amulet x5] [Horse under your name won three dirt races: 3/3 (Completed)]

[Reward: Green Amulet × 5]

He closed the translucent window that popped up in front of him and clenched his fists lightly.

Then, I couldn't help but wave it.

"Great!"

Ogawa Sheng raised his hands high in celebration.

With a sweet smile, Ogawa Kanna was also pleased with her own judgment.

Even Xu Hezhang had an unconcealable smile on his face.

The priority breeding right of the declaration of war——

For a newly established small ranch like Nishiken, this is definitely a great encouragement.

He was even impatient to start thinking about the breeding plan for next year.

"Congratulations, Mr. Kitano!"

In front of the inspection room, Tanaka greeted Kitano warmly.

"It was a tough battle, but it's great to win."

Grabbing Kitano's shoulders, Tanaka patted him hard.

Having not yet recovered from the aftermath of the game, Kitano was jumbled around responding to various similar or different congratulations.

The final results announced on the bulletin board showed that the distances between the first three moves were the nose difference and the neck difference respectively.

For Mudai Baima, it was undoubtedly a battle of fundamentals decided by a hair's breadth.

Before the race, I received advice from Master Tanaka and Representative Ogawa, saying, "This distance might be a bit difficult, but you can give it a try."

I registered for the competition according to the original plan, and I was a little nervous from the beginning.

"Is 1,500 meters really possible?"

With such doubts in mind, I came to the Monbetsu Racecourse today.

Then, I witnessed the unexpected release of a man and a horse.

On the last straight stretch facing the stands, I was almost caught.

Oh no—

This was the real mentality at that time.

Even Kitano, who considers himself a beginner in horse racing, is well aware of the disadvantages of the leading horse when dealing with opponents behind.

But neither Medaima nor the Ochiai rider gave in easily, and they stubbornly resisted the attack from behind.

The moment I crossed the finish line, I felt another inexplicable emotion besides the joy of victory.

He took a deep breath.

"Really. Thank you very much."

Then, he bent down and said this to the Ochiai rider who came out of the inspection room.

"No, this is my side."

Ochiai lowered his head slightly in response.

Although various decisions were made during the game, the final victory still depended on Mudai Baima's own performance.

Horse racing is a process in which humans and horses work closely together to perform well.

As a rider, he was just doing his job.

During the Kuchitori ceremony, Medodayama lowered his head listlessly.

Perhaps because he was too tired, he looked much quieter than when he won for the first time.

"After this competition, you can try to take a break for a while."

Before taking the photo, Tanaka gave Kitano his advice.

The range of Medaima has been roughly determined.

There is no need to think too much about the next 1700 meters, at least at this stage.

Moreover, the consumption after this competition seems to be greater than expected.

Rather than continuing to participate in the two-year-old limited competition with low bounties, it is better to graze and rest for a period of time, and then consider the route of travel based on the condition at that time.

"I think so too."

Kitano nodded.

Medahira looked quite tired.

Large areas of his fur were wet, and under the saddle, the friction between sweat and dust produced conspicuous foam.

After putting down the mouth and taking the rope, Kitano patted the horse's head.

It's time to give it a good rest.

(End of this chapter)