The Nice Nature Memorial Donation is an annual month-long initiative designed to gather financial support for retired racehorses. Named after the renowned Japanese thoroughbred of the same name, this campaign has successfully raised over $1.8 million USD throughout its ten-year history, with significant contributions attributed to the horse’s appearances in the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise.
Originally known as the “Nice Nature Birthday Donation,” the fund was established on April 16, 2017, to commemorate Nice Nature’s 29th birthday. While donations remained steady in the first four years, they saw a dramatic surge, jumping from 1.08 million JPY (approximately $11k USD) in 2020 to 35.8 million JPY ($225k USD) in 2021. This increase coincides with the Japanese debut of Umamusume: Pretty Derby on February 24, 2021. Despite Nice Nature’s passing on May 30, 2023, at the age of 35, the campaign was rebranded and continues to thrive.
This year’s Nice Nature Memorial Donation gathered more than 48 million JPY ($302k USD) – 195% of its initial target – within a month. Retired Racehorses Association representative director Kyoko Numata shared on the campaign’s official webpage that the campaign received a “tremendous response” from international supporters, partly due to the 2025 global launch of Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
With these funds, the association aims to care for and rehabilitate more retired racehorses. Additionally, more foster parent members (racehorse caregivers) will be recruited to provide personalized support to each horse.
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