Racehorse Behind Umamusume's Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi Dies at 31

Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, the Japanese racehorse who inspired the Umamusume: Pretty Derby character of the same name, has died at the age of 31. His death was announced on August 2 by the support group that funded his care in retirement.

Shigeo Nakanishi, a representative of the group, said in an initial statement that the horse died in his pasture at approximately 10:15 a.m. local time. In a follow-up statement, Nakanishi said Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi had gone out to pasture as usual and was found lying down and unable to stand roughly an hour later. A veterinarian was called, but treatment was unsuccessful and the decision was made to euthanize him.

Nakanishi said the horse died surrounded by the family that runs Yoshino Farm, and thanked those who had supported him throughout his retirement.

The support group has set aside an area at Yoshino Farm where fans can leave flowers, but has asked that people not contact the farm directly.

The career behind the character

Umamusume: Pretty Derby builds its cast by adapting real racehorses into anime characters whose designs and personalities draw on events from their racing careers. The game's Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, voiced by Yoshino Aoyama, is described on the official Umamusume website as an upbeat runner with enormous potential whose body struggles to keep up with her determination, a reference to the real horse's promising but injury-affected record.

Born on April 6, 1995, Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi was a son of the celebrated racehorse Symboli Rudolf. His Japan Racing Association record lists five wins from 11 starts, including the 1999 Asahi Challenge Cup and the Kyoto Daishoten. The Kyoto Daishoten field he beat also included Special Week, Mejiro Bright, T.M. Opera O and Stay Gold, each of whom went on to become an Umamusume character in their own right.

He suffered a serious left-front leg injury during the 2000 Arima Kinen and was retired soon afterward. He later served as a lead horse at Kyoto Racecourse before spending his final years at Yoshino Farm in Miyazaki. After his owner died in 2011, Nakanishi established the Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi Association to help fund his continued care; the group has said attention to the horse increased once a new generation of fans encountered him through Umamusume.

The official Japanese Umamusume account acknowledged the horse as the inspiration for the character, saying in a translated statement that it extended its condolences to everyone involved and prayed for the repose of what it called a great racehorse.