Read the excerpt from the land.

at first i just walked the grey, letting him get used to me. then i bridled and saddled him and finally i mounted. i let him get accustomed to my weight on his back as he walked around the pasture, then knowing our time was short, i put him through paces, first a trot followed by a gallop before slowing him down and taking him back to the cool of a shade tree. i gave him more apple wedges. i let him drink from a stream nearby before i brushed him again. all the while i never stopped talking to him.

what is the purpose of this narration?

to explain how paul gets to know sutcliffe’s horse
to provide backstory about paul’s history with horses
to explain paul’s motivation for participating in the horse race
to provide backstory about how paul learned to ride horses