Haru Urara

Haru Urara (ハルウララ) is a Japanese racehorse. The horse gained nationwide popularity in 2003, not due to her success, but rather, due to a long string of consecutive losses.

Haru Urara^[1]
Sire	Nippo Teio^[1]
Grandsire	Lypheor^[1]
Dam	Heroine^[1]
Damsire	Lucky Sovereign^[1]
Sex	Mare^[1]
Foaled	(1996-02-27) 27 February 1996 (age 27)^[2]^[1]
Country	Japan
Colour	Bay^[1]
Breeder	Nobuta Bokujo^[1]
Owner	Nobuta Bokujo Takao Yokoyama M A Office Haru Urara no Kai
Trainer	Dai Muneishi
Record	113: 0-5-7^[1]
Earnings	1,129,000 Yen^[1]
Major wins
None
Last updated on December 2, 2022

Background

Haru Urara, a bay mare, was foaled on February 27, 1996, on Nobuta Bokujo,^[3] Utafue, Mitsuishi, Hokkaido. She was sired by Nippo Teio, a top-class racehorse whose wins included the Tenno Sho and the Yasuda Kinen.^[4] Unable to find a buyer for their filly, the farm began training Haru Urara as a racehorse, under their own ownership.

Racing career

At her debut, on November 17, 1998 at the Kōchi Racetrack, Haru Urara lost, placing fifth—and last. Over the next four-and-a-half years, she would compete once or twice every month, but was unable to obtain a single victory.

In June 2003, after garnering her 80th consecutive loss, the story was picked up by the national Japanese media, making "Haru Urara" a household name. She quickly became very popular in Japan, and was called "the shining star of losers everywhere" (負け組の星, makegumi no hoshi), for continuing to run with all her heart, despite her seemingly endless losing streak. This surge in popularity was dubbed "The Haru Urara Boom", and news about Haru Urara even reached the international community, being reported in the United States, Canada, Germany and elsewhere.^[5]

During the boom, Haru Urara betting tickets began to be used as o-mamori, particularly for protection against traffic accidents: the word "ataranai" (当たらない) in Japanese can mean both "to lose a bet" and "to avoid being struck", so it was said that a Haru Urara betting ticket—a guaranteed loss—could protect the owner's car from being hit.^[6] In September 2003, the Kōchi Prefecture Horse Racing Association introduced a service wherein they would stamp the word on any betting ticket related to Haru Urara. O-mamori were also created from mane and tail hairs that were said to have fallen out during brushing, but production was soon halted, due to concerns expressed by animal welfare groups.

At a race held on March 22, 2004, during the peak of her popularity, more than 13,000 spectators packed the Kochi Racetrack, 3,000 of whom had gathered outside before the gates opened, forcing the track to open 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. Some people waited in line for up to five hours to buy tickets at the "Haru Urara Commemorative Ticket Booth", which was established especially for the event. Fans bet a grand total of ¥121,751,200 on a Haru Urara victory, an impressive sum, particularly for a horse that had not won once in more than 100 attempts. The race ended in disappointment, but not surprise: despite being ridden by Japan's premier jockey, Yutaka Take, Haru Urara earned her 106th consecutive loss, placing 10th among 11 horses running.^[7]

"Haru Urara" means beauty of spring in English, and it is also an idiom of the warm climate of spring in Japan, and its beautiful name is also said to be one of the reasons why Haru Urara became popular. Numerous products using Haru Urara's name or image have been produced, including stuffed toys, key rings, mobile phone straps, stickers, stamps, train tickets, rice, shochu, hats, T-shirts and bras. A number of books and songs, as well as a film, were also written about Haru Urara during the boom period. The Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said "I'd like to see Haru Urara win, even just once. The horse is a good example of not giving up in the face of defeat."^[5]

Haru Urara ran her last race in August 2004 and retired with a record of 0 wins and 113 losses.

Retirement

Originally, it was announced that Haru Urara would be returned from Tochigi where she was recuperating for a retirement race scheduled on March 2005.^[8] However, her return was soon postponed^[9] before officially being classified as retired by the NAR on October 2006, never returning to Kochi. ^[10][11]

Post retirement, there were plans to have her breed with Deep Impact as well as Stay Gold but never materialized.^[12][13][14] Once those plans fell through, she was transported by her owner at the time in 2013 to the Martha Farm in Onjuku, Chiba where she has lived since.^[15][16]

At Martha Farm, Haru Urara became a minor PR character in 2018 when she was featured in a traffic safety poster of the Kisarazu Police Station.^{[17][18][19][14]}

In popular culture

An anthromorphized version of Haru Urara appears as a character in both the anime and game of Uma Musume Pretty Derby,^[20][21] and fans have since come to visit the real life Haru Urara at Martha Farm.^[14][22]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Haru Urara (JPN), bay mare 1996^[2]

Sire Nippo Teio	Lypheor	Lyphard	Northern Dancer
			Goofed
		Klaizia	Sing Sing
			Klainia
	Chiyoda Masako	Lover John	Damascus
			Evening Primrose
		Miss O Hayabusa	Partholon
			World Hayabusa
Dam Heroine	Lucky Sovereign	Nijinsky	Northern Dancer
			Flaming Page
		Sovereign	Pardao
			Urshalim
	Peerless Lady	Tesco Boy	Princely Gift
			Suncourt
		East Side	Partholon
			Miss Hakuryu (Family:12)^[23]

See also

• Maiden race#Famous maiden horses
• List of historical horses
• Quixall Crossett
• Underdog
• Zippy Chippy

References

1. "Haru Urara(JPN)". Retrieved 2022-12-02.
2. "Haru Urara pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
3. "Haru Urara(JPN)". Retrieved 2022-05-18.
4. "Nippo Teio(JPN)". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
5. "Losing Racehorse Charms Japan". CBS News. 2004-03-22. from the original on 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
6. Rogers, Mike (2005). Schizophrenic in Japan: An American Ex-pat's Guide to Japanese And American Society/politics & Humor. iUniverse. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-595-34662-2.
7. "Japanese cheer on no-hope horse". BBC News. 2004-04-22. from the original on 2004-04-02. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
8. . Kochi Shimbun (in Japanese). Kochi, Japan. 2005-01-05. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
9. . Kochi Shimbun (in Japanese). Kochi, Japan. 2005-02-11. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
10. . Kochi Shimbun (in Japanese). Kochi, Japan. 2006-10-04. Archived from the original on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
11. "地方競馬 データ情報 ハルウララ". keiba.go.jp (in Japanese). National Association of Racing. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
12. "ダメ馬ハルウララは「馬肉」にされてしまった!?" [Bad horse Haru Urara was turned in to "horse meat"!?]. Shukan Shincho (in Japanese). No. 53. Shinchosha. 2008-05-01. p. 73.
13. "113連敗ハルウララにディープインパクト種付け計画" [The breeding plan with Deep Impact for Haru Urara, who has a 113 losing streak]. Shukan Shincho (in Japanese). Vol. 54. 2009-12-17. p. 49.
14. Kensaku, Wakui (2018-10-29). "113連敗ハルウララに会いに行く。ほしよりこが描くワガママな素顔。". Number web. Bungeishunju. from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
15. "新サポートホース・ハルウララ「春うららの会」" (in Japanese). The Retired Horse Association. 2014-07-15. from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
16. "【復刻】負け組の星 ハルウララ千葉にいた｜極ウマ・プレミアム". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 2022-03-01. from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
17. "元競走馬・ハルウララ起用 「一生クルマに当たらないで」 千葉県警木更津署の交通安全ポスターが話題". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. 2018-08-22. from the original on 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
18. "ハルウララに感謝状 戦績生かし交通安全貢献 ニンジン６００キロも 木更津署". www.chibanippo.co.jp (in Japanese). Chiba Nippo. 2018-08-25. from the original on 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
19. "車に「当たらないで」 １１３連敗ハルウララ 交通安全に一役 木更津署、ポスター作製". www.chibanippo.co.jp (in Japanese). Chiba Nippo. 2018-07-27. from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
20. "キャラクター一覧 | ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト｜Cygames". ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
21. "TVアニメ『ウマ娘 プリティーダービー』公式サイト". TVアニメ『ウマ娘 プリティーダービー』公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
22. Tatsunori, Tokushige (2021-06-02). "「ウマ娘」大ヒットで20代の競馬ファン増加中 "ハルウララ"ファーム見学は予約でいっぱいに". Daily Shinchō (in Japanese). Shinchosha. from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
23. "Royal Mare - Family 12". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.

 

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