Fan-favourite horses to be transformed into plush toys once again in annual Idol Horse Audition
Wednesday, 23 July, 2025 15:33
Meiner Fanrong (Photo: Haruki Yamanaka)
The beloved "Idol Horse Audition," a fan-voting campaign that selects racehorses to be made into plush toys, returns this year.
This project creates new "Idol Horse Plushies," a popular product sold at Turfie Shops and other outlets, based on horses that have not yet been made into plush form. The initiative began in 2021, hosted by Kyoto Racecourse, and has been held annually since. Last year, Meiner Fanrong, Hayayakko, and Silver Sonic were selected, along with a new S-size version of Meikei Yell, who previously only had an M-size plush.
This year's preliminary voting will take place from Wednesday, July 23, to Friday, August 1. Fans can vote freely for any active or retired horse that has not yet been turned into a plush toy. Then, from Wednesday, August 13, to Friday, August 22, a final round of voting will be held, with fans selecting one horse from a list chosen in the preliminaries. As a result, two active horses and one retired horse will be made into new Idol Horse plushies.
In addition, during the same preliminary voting period, a special "S-Size Selection" vote will also be held. Fans can vote for a horse that already has an M-size plush but has yet to be made into the more portable S-size version. The horse with the most votes will have its S-size plush officially created.
Voting is web-only and must be done through the special Idol Horse Audition website. Fans can vote once per person for both the preliminary round and the S-size selection. For the final round, one vote per person per day will be allowed. Voting begins at noon on July 23 and August 13, with deadlines at 11:59 a.m. on August 1 and August 22.
The selected plushies will be sold at Turfie Shops nationwide and through their online store. Do not miss the chance to cast your vote for your favourite racehorse to be immortalised in plush form.
This project creates new "Idol Horse Plushies," a popular product sold at Turfie Shops and other outlets, based on horses that have not yet been made into plush form. The initiative began in 2021, hosted by Kyoto Racecourse, and has been held annually since. Last year, Meiner Fanrong, Hayayakko, and Silver Sonic were selected, along with a new S-size version of Meikei Yell, who previously only had an M-size plush.
This year's preliminary voting will take place from Wednesday, July 23, to Friday, August 1. Fans can vote freely for any active or retired horse that has not yet been turned into a plush toy. Then, from Wednesday, August 13, to Friday, August 22, a final round of voting will be held, with fans selecting one horse from a list chosen in the preliminaries. As a result, two active horses and one retired horse will be made into new Idol Horse plushies.
In addition, during the same preliminary voting period, a special "S-Size Selection" vote will also be held. Fans can vote for a horse that already has an M-size plush but has yet to be made into the more portable S-size version. The horse with the most votes will have its S-size plush officially created.
Voting is web-only and must be done through the special Idol Horse Audition website. Fans can vote once per person for both the preliminary round and the S-size selection. For the final round, one vote per person per day will be allowed. Voting begins at noon on July 23 and August 13, with deadlines at 11:59 a.m. on August 1 and August 22.
The selected plushies will be sold at Turfie Shops nationwide and through their online store. Do not miss the chance to cast your vote for your favourite racehorse to be immortalised in plush form.