This weekend was supposed to be the first official Umamusume concert in America. That was until a week ago, when publisher Cygames suddenly broke the bad news that they were unable to secure the necessary documentation to hold the event. For fans, it was a load of horse apples. But for the Pretty Derby die-hards, it presented an opportunity to form a new posse, organizing a day out to Knott’s Berry Farm’s ye olde west town and giving their blacksmith the best day of his life.
“I was told that the horseshoe blacksmith at knott’s today had the most business he ever had,” posted one Umamusume in attendance, “his queue for the day completely filled.”
With less than a week from the starting line, Cygames said that Trump’s recent changes to visa applications barred their musicians and voice actors, forcing them to cancel the lone American stop on the world tour. The mobile game, which has since spurred numerous animated series and comics, follows anthropomorphized girls based on real-world racetrack legends. You mix horse people with anime people and you end up with a pretty devout following. But even in lesser circumstances, such a sudden change of plans would feel pretty raw. Thankfully the publisher lessened the blow by compensating for any booked airfare and hotel accommodations, on top of refunding concert tickets.
For those who cleared their schedule anyway, fans in the area decided not to let the bad news break their stride. A herd of Umamusume heads decided to mosey on down to Knott’s Berry Farm. Not for their annual Halloween houses or the Elvira show, but for their ghost town. As in, old-timey cowpoke ghost town. Making a day on the range, showing off plush toys. For horse girls and cow boys alike.
he’s the goat fr pic.twitter.com/WzKPnGlIl9
— trustworthy timmy (@nekolelouch) October 24, 2026
It seems that the real star of this community event was Knott’s in-house blacksmith. A tradition since the park opened in 1947, and an institution in the ghost town pavilion, Knott’s keeps the smithy around to forge iron and talk a bit about frontier history. The fixture allows parents to turn their day of thrill rides into a field trip for 20, breath catching minutes.
Every dog has its day. And this metal worker wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Umamusume booked his day solid, the busiest of his career according to attendees. The fans requested horseshoes branded with the names of their favorite characters who, once again, share their titles with real competing horses. Still doesn’t explain why anime girls without hoofs would even need a horseshoe, unless they’re also susceptible to fungal infections or those gross Facebook reels that keep showing up in your feed.
