A disabled fan of Japan’s most famous losing racehorse has revealed how Haru Urara helped her through years of self-doubt, inspiring her to perform a live tribute in Tokyo.
According to Kyodo News, Keiko Tanaka, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair, took to the stage on December 28, 2025, to perform a song dedicated to Haru Urara, alongside two other tracks themed around horse racing.
The moment marked the end of a deeply personal journey that began more than two decades earlier, when Tanaka first learned about the winless horse who refused to give up.
How Haru Urara inspired a disabled fan
Haru Urara became a national icon in Japan during the early 2000s after losing all 113 of her professional races. Affectionately dubbed the “shining star of losers everywhere,” her refusal to quit despite constant defeat turned her into a symbol of resilience far beyond the world of horse racing.
In recent years, her story has also reached a global audience through Umamusume: Pretty Derby, where Urara appears as a cheerful, determined character who never gives up. That popularity even led international fans to send gifts and letters to the real horse in Japan.
However, for Tanaka, Urara’s story carried a far more personal meaning. For years, she struggled with anxiety and feelings of worthlessness, believing her condition made her a burden on those around her. Discovering Urara’s story helped change how she saw herself.
“She taught me that living life as you are is the true meaning of life,” Tanaka said.
That connection grew stronger when Tanaka later managed to meet Urara at the farm in Chiba Prefecture where the horse was living after her racing career ended.
“I wondered if I was also one of the losers, since I can’t live without the support of others. Meeting Urara at the farm wiped those worries away. She didn’t seem to give in to the fate humans imposed on her. Instead, she showed that ‘I am who I am.’”
After Haru Urara passed away on September 9, 2025, Tanaka decided she wanted to give something back to the horse that had inspired her. Despite having no prior experience, she began taking singing lessons and practiced for months so she could perform in Urara’s memory before the end of the year.
That goal was realized on December 28, when Tanaka took to the Tokyo stage to deliver her tribute to the horse who never won but still changed her life.
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