Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

But at Mejiro Ranch, such a day has yet to come.

After the short autumn after the auction, Hokkaido entered a long winter.

Although it is quite small in size, Mejiro Ranch, sheltered by the Hidaka Mountains, is relatively warm in winter.

This winter is a critical period for foals during their growth and development period.

The starship, which had a moderate appetite, could eat about three liters of grass at a time, and then run freely on the grazing land that the ranch staff had worked hard to clear.

In the season when snow still remains, this childish deer-hair pony already looks like its father as it runs.

The same soft feet and the same solid skeleton.

and also--

The relaxed horse body made everyone on the ranch a little worried.

The first test ride was when the Torama River was about to thaw.

“As soft as cotton and very comfortable to ride.”

This is how Rachel Ho, the lightest rider on the ranch and the one who was elected by everyone to be the test rider, felt when she rode the Starship.

“It’s very maneuverable.”

At that time, Lavid, who was observing from the side, expressed such emotion.

Even though the target was Rachel Ho, who had little riding experience, the starship was still able to respond in various ways to her clumsy control.

The deer-haired pony took leisurely steps in the chilly wind.

Then, run faster and faster.

It was an instinct that seemed like joy, as if to confirm one's own strength.

Even the top-performing Starship occasionally reveals this side of itself.

As if possessed by something, it pranced around on the Sanshi Hill.

But soon, the girl on the saddle pulled the reins as Kitano and Lavid spoke.

The deer-haired pony quickly stopped walking obediently.

It's not time to run wild yet.

"Let this kid start with something less intense."

This proposal was agreed upon by all members at the ranch meeting.

That night, Kitano contacted Hattori, the former jockey who was a trainer in Saga.

Upon learning that Kitano wanted to send a racehorse that might debut later to his stable, Hattori agreed without hesitation.

Then, a request was made to see the pony in person.

And today is the day that Hattori comes to visit.

Soon, it will be time to say goodbye.

In a somewhat subtle and heavy atmosphere, today's work officially began.

First up is the morning feed.

Mejiro Ranch usually feeds imported raw grass, and the specific feed formula is modified according to the different needs and preferences of each horse.

After feeding, the few horses on the ranch will be taken to graze in the snow.

Kitano and the ranch staff took advantage of this time to have breakfast.

After that, clean the stables, maintain the tools, clear the snow, drive away wild animals, and repair the fences.

Spend day after day in all kinds of complicated and busy life.

Horse breeders have little time to themselves.

If a horse is injured or sick, the workload will increase.

If any emergency occurs, you must make use of the limited sleep time, even if you have just laid down, you must get up.

Even a small ranch with just one breeding mare and one foal has a lot to offer.

At noon when the sun climbed over the Hidaka Mountains, people from the ranch gradually arrived at the Japanese-style room for the dinner.

Lunch was Sukiyaki. As soon as I opened the paper door, I could smell the aroma of beef.

Generally speaking, sukiyaki is mostly made with vegetables, but at Mejiro Ranch, sukiyaki means beef.

The beef portion will be cooked later, and before that the vegetarian portion will be prepared for Ravid.

I ate it with hot rice and soon I was sweating profusely.

After a short lunch break, it was time to get busy again.

In the afternoon, Kitano was doing a routine check on Dazzling in the stable.

In late April, this mare, the only one at Mejiro Ranch, will be sent to Gumoya Ranch.

If nothing unexpected happens, I will spend at least ten months there.

As if she had a premonition that she was about to become a mother, or perhaps because she often grazed with Starship on the adjacent land, her dazzling and oppressive eyes seemed to soften.

"Very good, all the values ​​are correct."

After finishing the inspection, Kitano stood up and gently stroked the black deer-haired horse's neck.

At this moment, a familiar voice came from the corridor outside.

"Long time no see, President Kitano."

After a while, Kitano and the visiting Hattori walked side by side towards the grazing ground.

There was still surprise on Kitano's face.

Even now, it is hard to believe that the guy in front of me who is inflated like an air balloon is actually the former rider Hattori.

Hattori, whose figure had become noticeably rounder, walked to the edge of the fence, squinted his eyes, and happily greeted the dazed pony.

"Hello, son of the Golden Ship."

Chapter 185 The First Day into the World

The time is 8:00 am on the first Sunday in March.

Today's sunrise is around 6:30.

Ninety minutes had passed since dawn.

The scenery outside is clearly visible, and the runway is on the other side of the glass window.

February passed by so quickly in the busyness that even the fruitful NAR Grand Prix2026 was soon put aside.

but--

Just like last year, I attended the award ceremony on an empty stomach.

This alone left a deep impression on me.

After taking a short breath, Kitano fell back into the seat.

From now on, the Dubai expedition was placed at the top of the list of considerations.

A few days ago, Mejiro Sakuya had arrived safely at the international stables in Midan accompanied by the stable staff.

It is said that his appetite is as strong as ever and there is nothing noteworthy about his health.

The in-flight announcement sounded, and we were about to take off.

The starting point is not much different from a car on the ground, except that the sight line is overwhelmingly high.

The asphalt road flows like liquid to the rear of the field of vision.

My head was pressed against the headrest, and the view outside began to tilt.

The nose of the aircraft is raised.

The next moment, more than half of the sky outside the window was covered with dazzling blue sky.

My thoughts were not interrupted by this. Instead, I jumped up into the clouds with the fuselage.

Although he did not leave for Dubai with the camp immediately, he has maintained communication contact over the past few days.

Mejiro Sakuya arrived in Dubai in the early morning of February 26th. Master Arashiyama and Masaru Ogawa had already arrived in advance and were ready to welcome her.

From then until now, for almost two weeks, the two have been working hard every day under heavy pressure to ensure that Sakuya Mejiro can be in the best competitive condition for the Dubai World Cup.

After observing his gait, Master Huangshan plans to compete in the Dubai World Cup with a slightly leaner weight of 500 kg to 505 kg.

"The main thing is to continue to lose excess fat, and it would be even better if the muscle mass can be maintained."

Although the tone seems somewhat relaxed, it is actually a very troublesome topic.

On the feed side, we consciously increased the proportion of hay and flaxseed very early on, and implemented stricter control over the intake of cereal feed.

Mejiro Sakuya is never picky about food. No matter whether it is three liters or six liters of feed, she will put it into her mouth wholeheartedly.

It seemed as if it was unaware of the change in feed formula and the adjustment was completed calmly.

In terms of training, the high-intensity slope exercises and short-distance sprints have been reduced, while the proportion of long-distance pacing used to strengthen cardiopulmonary capacity and maintain endurance has been increased accordingly.

Of course, such an arrangement also makes the already lazy-looking deer-hair horse even more listless.

In the eyes of others, this would probably be seen as another proof of unfavorable condition.

However, the faction that had already grasped Mejiro Sakuya's temperament was not particularly worried about such a performance.

Mejiro Sakuya is just such a racehorse.

"It would be great if we could show our freedom and run a race with a high level of man-horse balance."

This is all Kitano's expectations for the Dubai World Cup.

The specific training is still in a state of partial understanding.

All he could do was to relay the advisory group's suggestions to the camp verbatim.

After yawning, he casually opened the magazine on the plane.

Although it is a direct flight, it takes more than ten hours.

Although I want to just sleep through it, doing so will only make my body more tired.

Furthermore, adjusting to the time difference upon arrival can be a problem.

Although I was feeling sleepy, I had no choice but to hold on like this for the time being.

The random prize I picked was a men's fashion magazine.

The large format and paper feel very high-end, but it looks like it will cut your hand if you are not careful.

"I see. This kind of outfit is actually popular now."

I originally picked up the magazine just to kill time, but later I started to read it more seriously.

It's a bit too simple by reference book standards, and there are few occasions where fashion is required.

but--

Even horse breeders living in rural Hokkaido are not actually completely isolated from society.

Occasional useless knowledge is not bad after all—

Thinking of this, I turned to the next page of the magazine.

Before I knew it, my heavy eyelids slowly closed.

When I opened my eyes again, the plane had already landed.

After stepping through the hatch, the land under my feet became the land of the Federation of Arab Emirates.

The time is 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

The sun's rays hitting exposed skin felt more like a sting than simply heat.

I couldn't help but squint my eyes and quicken my pace.

Several Arabs wearing headscarves and suits were already waiting at the exit of the arrival hall.