Unwavering Companionship Beyond the Glory of “Korea’s Best Three-Year-Old”
Another Story Left by Korean Horse Racing
Horse racing is a world of competition and records. While rankings and times may seem to define all value, sometimes the choices that do not appear on the results sheet are remembered far longer.
The end of a race does not mean the end of a relationship. This is evident in the bond between the retired racehorse Major King and owner Jinyoung Kim.
Major King was named the nation’s Best Three-Year-Old Racehorse in 2013. He won the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Cup (G2) and set the highest point total in the Triple Crown series, emerging as a rising star in Korean horse racing. He later built an impressive career, including racing abroad in the United States and serving as a stallion, but the results of these challenges did not meet expectations. In many cases, this is when a horse naturally fades from the spotlight. However, Jinyoung Kim made a different choice.
Jinyoung Kim is a veteran owner who has spent decades with horses by his side. He first encountered horses as a child riding with his grandfather, and entered the horse racing industry in earnest after bidding on racehorses during the Ttukseom Racecourse era. During the process of bringing the Busan-Gyeongnam Race Park to the region, he personally visited local government officials to offer his support, and in 2005, served as the inaugural president of the Busan-Gyeongnam Owners’ Association, laying the foundation for the region’s horse racing culture. He is also known as the very first person to apply as an owner when the Busan-Gyeongnam Race Park was established.
He has often said, “I became an owner because I love horses. The time I spend with horses is the best.” On major race days, he would dress in a suit and sunglasses and personally introduce horses to spectators at the paddock. His enduring love for horses, even into his seventies, is well known among horse racing fans.
Among the many horses Jinyoung Kim has been with over the past 21 years, Major King holds a special place. When overseas racing and a stallion career did not meet expectations, retirement was decided. Yet Kim said, “Major King did his best for me. Now it’s my turn to repay him.” After personally visiting several ranches, he chose Hopho Riding School, which offers spacious pastures, as Major King’s new home.
Jinyoung Kim never judged Major King by his race results or breeding achievements. “Major King is like a child to me. Regardless of the outcome, he is the greatest fortune of my life.” True to these words, he still keeps a photo on his phone taken with Major King at the 2013 Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Cup awards ceremony.
He also treasures a bank account number that was specially issued by his regular bank to commemorate Major King’s victory date (October 16, 2013), and shares memories of that day with everyone he meets.
Currently, Jinyoung Kim and his wife, Jang Hyejung, regularly visit the ranch to check on Major King’s condition. According to ranch staff, Major King can recognize Kim’s footsteps from afar and responds to his presence. Seo Yujin, a veterinarian at the Korea Racing Authority, commented, “His condition is excellent for his age. This is a case where ongoing attention and a stable environment have had a positive effect on the health of an aging horse.”
In leading horse racing nations abroad, only a select few horses with outstanding race and stallion records are granted the honorable retirement known as “pension.” In contrast, Jinyoung Kim chose to take responsibility for the rest of the life of a horse that shared meaningful moments with him, regardless of performance.
The story of Major King and Jinyoung Kim broadens the perspective on retired racehorses and animal welfare. By choosing relationships over records and responsibility over results, this owner quietly demonstrates another direction for the future of Korean horse racing.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
