Chapter 65: Night Wind
"This time, the club has imported a total of 10 sport horses, all 2-3 year old stallions. Among them are 4 British Thoroughbreds, bred by Sheikh Mohammed's stud farm under Darley Stud Management Ltd. in the UK. There are also 6 German Warmbloods, all Holstein horses from the German Holstein Horse Breeders' Association. They all come from prestigious lineages with noble bloodlines.... Mr. Murong, I believe you'll definitely find a horse you like this time!"
Qian Jinlai, the general manager of Tianxing International Equestrian Club, enthusiastically introduced as he led Murong Feng and Tang Qing towards the stables. Since Murong Feng's sudden rise in wealth and fame, Tianxing Club had internally designated this former top-tier member as a special-grade member, with Qian Jinlai personally attending to Murong Feng on every visit.
This time, Tianxing had spent a large sum to import 10 horses at once, aiming to fulfill many wealthy members' desire to own their own horses. Murong Feng was undoubtedly one of the richest among them. Qian Jinlai's enthusiasm today was also in hopes of achieving a successful start with this batch of horses.
Murong Feng smiled and said, "Manager Qian, your Tianxing has quite the influence. Just a few days ago you mentioned going to Europe to investigate importing horses, and in just over two months, the horses have already been transported to Beijing!"
Qian Jinlai replied with a proud smile, "Tianxing has close partnerships with many European horse breeding associations, so they are very cooperative in horse selection and transportation, naturally making the process more efficient."
Murong Feng nodded with a smile. Tang Qing, standing beside him, glanced at Qian Jinlai with a smile, but thought to herself, "Chinese equestrian clubs aren't highly regarded internationally. It's likely that the horses Tianxing imported aren't truly top-tier from the most famous European breeding associations. But after bringing them to China and listing these company names, the horses' prices will multiply many times over. It's quite a clever business."
The three arrived at the stables.
The newly imported European horses were housed in the best facilities of the newly built high-end stables at the far end.
Qian Jinlai walked through each stable, introducing the breed, lineage, name, age, and suitable equestrian events for each horse. Undeniably, these horses looked beautiful even at first glance. Both British Thoroughbreds and German Holstein horses are among the world's finest breeds, with sleek coats, tall statures, long legs, and majestic appearances.
Murong Feng had originally intended to buy a Thoroughbred, having been constantly persuaded by Wang Lei about how prestigious and excellent Thoroughbreds were - the fastest horses in the world, with the best physical structure, brave, strong-willed, and the best for racing, and so on. So he had been set on buying a Thoroughbred.
However, today, the horse that involuntarily made him stop in his tracks and deeply attracted him was a German Holstein named "Lucky".
"Lucky", three years old, sired by Ladykiller, the 2006 Hamburg Derby champion, descended from the elegant and noble bloodline of L'Acteur, a British Thoroughbred born in 1941. The dam's side came from the French Selle Français horse, Corde, equally of noble bloodline.
What captivated Murong Feng at first sight was Lucky's exceptionally handsome appearance. Standing nearly 1.70 meters tall (a horse's height is measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers when the horse stands still), with beautiful, round, and glossy large eyes, a long neck like a phoenix, long and strong, sturdy upright limbs, and a straight back. The robust body combined with delicate and elegant frame lines made it particularly distinctive and spirited. As the saying goes, "A horse with a dragon-like head, protruding eyes, flat back, large belly, and strong muscles - when these three traits are present, it's a horse capable of traveling a thousand li."
But what was most beautiful and attractive was that it was a "flowing star forehead, snow-stepping black steed"!
This means that Lucky's coat was black, with a long star marking on its forehead and four white feet. One can imagine how beautiful a majestic black horse would be with only a star-like streak on its head and four snow-white hooves!
Murong Feng stared for a while before turning to ask Tang Qing, "Janney, what do you think of this horse?"
Tang Qing was also surprised, not expecting Tianxing to import such a high-quality horse from the Holstein Association! She observed carefully for a moment, then nodded and smiled, "I didn't expect to see such a beautiful horse. Murong, isn't this just like Hu Yanzhuo's imperial mount in the Water Margin, the 'Snow-Stepping Black Steed'?"
Murong Feng was also very satisfied and turned to ask Qian Jinlai about the price. Qian Jinlai smiled and answered, "€43,000 euros so 340,000 RMB."
Murong Feng was stunned. He had thought Warmbloods would be much cheaper than Thoroughbreds, but unexpectedly, the price was even higher. It's worth noting that Wang Lei's horse "Cloud Stepper" only cost €20,000 euros.
Qian Jinlai explained, "Warmbloods are large and robust, with fast short-distance running speeds. They have elegant and beautiful movement, a dignified and graceful spirit and demeanor. Their jumping ability and flexibility of limbs are world-class. In the trot, a Warmblood's legs can lift the highest, with a long and curved neck, a refined face, very aristocratic in essence. They are the universal horses for international equestrian sports, known as the 'pride of heaven' for jumping and dressage."
"Especially the German Holstein horses, which make up only 6% of the total horse population in Germany, recognized in the equestrian world as the breed with the most outstanding athletic performance. In German, their motto is 'Holsteiner kennen keine Grenzen!' - meaning 'Holstein - the horse without limits.' In the last Olympic equestrian events, Holstein horses won nine medals: four gold, one silver, and four bronze! Therefore, Holstein horses are now quite expensive in horse trades worldwide." Qian Jinlai spoke eloquently about the horses he had personally imported.
He looked affectionately at "Lucky" in the stable as he continued, "Traditionally, Holstein horses are coffee or brown in color, with some chestnut or blue roan. Black is rare. 'Lucky' is a special black horse, and if nothing else, just its four white feet make it unique!"
Murong Feng nodded, agreeing with Qian Jinlai's points. Moreover, 340,000 was nothing to him. He glanced at Tang Qing, who smiled silently, apparently not objecting to Qian Jinlai's words. So he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll buy it!"
Qian Jinlai was delighted. But before he could speak, a magnetic voice with a hint of a Hong Kong accent came from behind them: "Great, if you buy 'Lucky', I'll be its trainer!"
They turned to see Zhao Xuanyi, Murong Feng's riding instructor, in smart riding attire. Her eyes were fixed on "Lucky" with intense sadness. Murong Feng, who had been under her instruction for some time and had a good relationship with her, asked curiously, "Xuanyi, aren't you a riding coach? Could you also be a horse trainer?"
Zhao Xuanyi, still staring at "Lucky", replied disdainfully, "My master is the most famous champion horse trainer in Hong Kong. Do you think I could be a trainer?"
Qian Jinlai, not daring to offend her, quickly explained, "Miss Zhao obtained her trainer's license in the 06/07 racing season. She's fully qualified. Mr. Murong, since Miss Zhao has offered, I suggest you consider it seriously. Miss Zhao is arguably the best horse trainer in the country right now!"
Murong Feng looked at Zhao Xuanyi, noticing her strange expression - a mix of sadness and nostalgia as she gazed at "Lucky". Sensing no ill will towards the horse, he nodded and said, "Alright, thank you so much! Xuanyi, I'll entrust 'Night Wind' to you!"
Everyone was surprised: "Night Wind?" Murong Feng smiled, "What, can't I give my horse a name I like? Since it's black, it's like the night, and taking the 'wind' from my name, I hope it will run as swiftly as the wind. I think it's good... Janney, what do you think?"
Tang Qing thought the name was great, but suddenly remembered a funny scene. Suppressing her laughter, she looked at Murong Feng and said seriously, "How about we call it 'Meng Meng' (Cute Cute)..."
Everyone was stunned again, then burst into laughter as they thought about it, even Zhao Xuanyi, who had been immersed in sadness, couldn't help but smile. This was a playful reference to a scene from the movie "Red Cliff".
After payment, the German Warmblood Holstein horse, now named "Night Wind", became Murong Feng's first horse, making him a real horse owner! Although "Night Wind" was more suited for equestrian performances rather than speed racing, Murong Feng also liked the elegant unity of horse and rider in obstacle courses and dressage competitions, so it didn't matter much.
In the future, he could always buy a better English Thoroughbred for racing if he wanted.
Watching Zhao Xuanyi carefully tending to "Night Wind", Murong Feng wondered what past events had brought her from the equestrian capital of Hong Kong to Beijing, and why she reacted so strangely upon seeing "Night Wind".
Regardless, under Zhao Xuanyi's expert care, "Night Wind" would surely grow into an outstanding horse!
As "Night Wind" was new and needed time to adjust before being ridden, Murong Feng chose to ride the Thoroughbred he usually practiced with.
His custom-made riding gear had already arrived: an Italian GPA riding helmet, the world's most famous riding helmet; Heritage Tackified Pro-Air Show top-quality sheepskin riding gloves; four sets of riding outfits from top equestrian brands GPA and Pikeur; Pikeur's "Rodrigo" half-leather riding pants made of Prestige-Micro 2000 Plus special fabric; custom-made high-grade leather riding boots; and a German Fleck riding crop, among others. All were top-tier equestrian equipment brands.
Tang Qing also brought her own riding outfit, confirming that her claim of learning horseback riding in college wasn't just talk. When the club's trainers brought out two Thoroughbreds for them, Tang Qing gracefully mounted her horse, sitting straight and elegant on the saddle, looking dashing and spirited, which captivated Murong Feng.
"Janney, you're such a good rider. Why don't you come riding more often?" Murong Feng asked as they rode side by side.
Tang Qing replied with slight annoyance, "There are so many equestrian clubs in Beijing, not just Tianxing! I have a friend from my studies in England who opened a riding club near Xishan, and I used to go there... Besides," she glanced at Murong Feng, her tone nonchalant, "you only started riding a few months ago and never told me, how would I know?"
Murong Feng was speechless, realizing that Tang Qing indeed wouldn't have known about his riding lessons during the past six months when she had been avoiding him. He felt a bit guilty.
Not wanting to dwell on unpleasant topics, Tang Qing smiled coyly and said, "You've been learning for a few months now, how's your riding? Why don't we have a race?"
Murong Feng, having practiced with Zhao Xuanyi for nearly three months, was confident in his basic speed riding. He smiled and said, "Sure! The loser buys dinner!" He gently squeezed his legs, and the Thoroughbred he had become accustomed to riding over the past few months immediately took off.
Amidst his laughter, Tang Qing called out teasingly, "You're cheating, Murong! It doesn't count. You're buying dinner regardless of who wins!" She then spurred her horse to chase after him.
On Tianxing's outer speed training track, under the bright sunlight and on the lush green turf, a handsome man and beautiful woman, dressed in noble and stylish riding outfits, galloped past like the wind. This scene caught the attention of other members practicing and guests relaxing under sun umbrellas on the lawn. They couldn't help but marvel, thinking this was truly the life of noble equestrians that people imagined!
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