
I can not cease yapping about Umamusume: Fairly Derby, the horse woman gacha recreation which has change into the quiet hit of 2025. A part of its draw is the truth that each waifu’d foal is definitely primarily based on a real-life racehorse, and whereas most of them are gnawing on greenery up within the sky, there are a couple of who’re nonetheless alive.
One such horse is Haru Urara, who was capturing hearts lengthy earlier than her Umamusume debut, however has now change into a worldwide hit. She’s so well-liked now, in truth, that persons are gifting high-quality $40 grass to her in droves and breaking the donation website within the course of.
#umamusume #haruurara Animation: https://t.co/rmdCftwtqB https://t.co/CsYcwcVYnB pic.twitter.com/LVsWmTzjX4July 14, 2025
I’ll admit I’ve developed fairly the mushy spot for Haru Urara myself. I wasn’t completely bought on her Umamusume design till I began digging into her real-life historical past: A mare who ran in 113 races throughout her profession… and misplaced each single time. Her dazzlingly poor efficiency brought about people to change into awfully endeared to her. nicknaming her “the shining star of losers all over the place.”
Hell, folks would even place bets on Haru Urara regardless of realizing it could be a assured loss, utilizing the betting slips nearly as good luck charms. That got here in terrible helpful throughout one race in 2003 the place 1000’s of spectators flocked to her common racetrack in Kochi—which had been affected by monetary pressure—betting over 121 million yen on her to win and giving a much-needed financial increase to her dwelling turf. Did I do know all of that earlier than enjoying Umamusume? Completely not, however do I inform everybody about Haru Urara each likelihood I get now? You wager I do.
It is the form of story that might get anybody rooting for a horse in a Hiya Kitty race masks, and Umamusume’s publicity past Japan has gained Haru Urara an entire lot extra followers in the previous couple of weeks—one thing even her farm acknowledged.
ANOTHER 20 TRILLION STRANDS OF GRASS TO HARU URARA #umamusume https://t.co/HSvhDghYnO pic.twitter.com/eKntspiWMBJuly 13, 2025
Nicely, it appears followers caught wind—partly due to this Japanese X account which has horse info aplenty—that you possibly can donate ryegrass to numerous retired racehorses in Japan by way of the Namabokuso Financial institution, Haru Urara being one of many candidates. It prices a whopping $40 for five kilograms, however that hasn’t stopped people collectively donating 2520kg of the stuff to her. That is just below 4,000 Steam Deck OLEDs’ price of grass, for comparability.
It is a lot grass, in truth, that it brought about the Namabokuso Financial institution web site to crash from the sheer quantity of site visitors. It is unclear how lengthy the location was struggling—I checked whereas penning this and issues are again up and working easily now—but it surely makes it even clearer how a lot love there’s for this foolish little horse. It additionally proc’d the enjoyable aspect impact of a ton of artwork drawing Umamusume Haru Urara drowning in ryegrass, which I’ve very a lot loved.
It is good to see folks’s love for the sport having real-life advantages—even when developer Cygames has needed to put out some tips to ensure persons are behaving when making an attempt to go to stables—and Haru Urara is not the one uma that people can donate to in the event that they’re so inclined. There’s Grass Surprise (who has much more grass accrued at 3775kg) and Good Nature, however there are additionally a ton of non-anime horses that might equally really feel the love from an enormous field of the good things to chew on.
