Grass Wonder, a real racehorse who inspired the Umamusume: Pretty Derby character of the same name, died at age 30. Fans of the anime horse girl racing sim have turned up in droves to mourn the horse online.
Developer Cygames has also joined in. "It is with heavy hearts that we share that Grass Wonder passed away on August 8," the studio wrote on Twitter. "The legendary racehorse's legacy serves as the inspiration for the character of the same name in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. We share our condolences to all the staff involved in Grass Wonder's care."
Japanese farm Big Red Farm shared the news of Grass Wonder's death earlier today. A machine translation of the farm's post says Grass Wonder had been in good health this year, but age-related organ failure saw him take a sudden and rapid turn for the worse.
30 years old is actually a pretty darn good run for a horse, especially a retired racehorse. And Grass Wonder is indeed a racing legend. The JBIS racehorse database shows a sterling record with multiple major wins in just a few years.
A lot of the real racehorses behind Umamusume's horse girls have died; Grass Wonder is the most recent, and the first since the game's Steam release and subsequent global explosion. This seems to have fueled an especially large crowd for the digital funeral.
"May you eat dandelions in heaven," ShenUltima writes on the Umamusume Reddit.
"Bro it was just yesterday that I laughed at her fat pic," one top comment reads, referring to a heavily memed photograph showing Grass Wonder enjoying his retirement by packing on some pounds. "Fatty (heartbroken)," another reply adds, riffing on the mood and status modifiers in Umamusume. "Rest in peace our beloved fatty," one player says.
"Grass Wonder had a long fulfilling life and was an exceptional horse who will be remembered for a long time," the top reply to a separate mourning thread reads. "I'm sure Special Week will be excited to see him again." (Special Week, the face of Umamusume, died in 2018.)
"May you find ever greener pastures on the other side, Grass," one user says in the top thread sharing the news.
