A Close Up Look At The Most Valuable Horses of All Time
Horses have been an integral part of human history for thousands of years. Across that time they have helped us build civilizations. Serving as transportation, agricultural labor, and even companionship. But in more recent years, the world of horses has also become synonymous with luxury and extravagance, with some of the world’s wealthiest individuals vying for ownership of the most expensive horses in the world.
These horses, often bred for their exceptional bloodlines, stunning physical attributes, and impressive athletic abilities, have sold for astronomical sums of money at auctions around the world. Their owners invest not just in the animals themselves, but in the prestige that comes with owning a horse that commands such a high price.
In this post, we take a look at some of the most expensive horses ever, and explore the reason why some horses are so expensive.
Why Are Some Horses So Expensive?
The most expensive horses in the world are usually, but not always, race horses. These athletic and powerful horses can earn their owners a lot of money, but also reputation and prestige. Lots of famous and wealthy people own or have a stake in some horses, including the royal family of the United Kingdom, and many Arabian royals too.
The reputation of a breeder can also be a factor in the price of a horse. The more winning horses a breeder has produced, the better the reputation and the higher the price they can generally obtain for their horses.
It’s About Much More That Prize Money
The value of a horse is not just in its race potential, and how fast the horse can run, but in it’s potential to produce winning offspring too. In fact, this is where most of there potential value comes from. While a winning racehorse can bring in hundreds of thousands, and potentially a few million in winnings, it is their bloodline and their genes that hold the true value.
When successful racehorses retire after a relatively short racing career, they are often then used to sire many new offspring. These offspring, coming from good genetic stock and a solid line, can sell for a lot of money. The more horses that are sired, the more money a breeder can get for their investment. In the right hands, winners tend to sire winners and the perfect example of this is the horse Northern Dancer.
Breeders would pay over the odds for a horse sired by Northern Dancer, so that they could develop a solid breeding stock from his successful bloodline. The best breeders want the best genes, and this inflates many bidding wars at auction.
Most Expensive Horses Ever Purchased
Fusaichi Pegasus – Most Expensive Racehorse and Most Expensive Horse Ever Sold
- Price: $70 million
- D.O.B: April 12, 1997
- Country: USA
- Breed: Thoroughbred
Fusaichi Pegasus takes the crown as being to date, the most expensive horse sold anywhere in the world. The racehorse had 4 major wins in the year 2000, including the Kentucky Derby. It was sold to the Coolmore Stud Farm in Ireland for a record price, having originally been purchased as a yearling for $4 million.
While Fusaichi Pegasus won around $2 million in race earnings throughout their career, their real potential value came from siring up to 75 different race winners around the world. Only a handful of these offspring were considered to be very successful however.
Shareef Dancer
- Price: $40 million
- D.O.B: 1980
- Country: USA
- Breed: Thoroughbred
Shareef Dancer is the second most expensive racehorse sold, and also the most expensive horse to have been sired by Northern Dancer, one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. Northern Dancer also has a particularly successful bloodline, responsible for siring many of the most expensive horses in this list.
Shareef Dancer was sold as a yearling to Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a senior political leader in the UAE, in 1981 for $3.3 million. The horse went on to have 5 race starts in which they won 3. They were then sold on at the end of their racing career in 1983 for the large $40 million asking price, and became sire and grandsire to many successful horses.
The Green Monkey – The Most Expensive Failure
- Price: $16 million
- D.O.B: February 4, 2004
- Country: USA
- Breed: Thoroughbred
The Green Monkey was a thoroughbred racehorse who gained notoriety for being sold for a record-breaking $16 million at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale in 2006. This was the highest value ever paid for a thoroughbred at public auction. He was a descendant of the great sire Northern Dancer and was trained by Todd Pletcher.
Despite the high expectations that came with his hefty price tag, The Green Monkey failed to live up to his potential on the racetrack. He made his racing debut in 2007 at Belmont Park but finished third in a six-furlong maiden race. He raced twice more, finishing seventh and sixth, before retiring due to an injury.
The Green Monkey’s lackluster racing career led to criticism of the high prices paid for young colts and the perceived commercialization of the horse racing industry. The horse had little success as a sire too, and eventually succumbed to laminitis, leading to eventually being euthanised in 2018.
Palloubet D’Halong – Most Expensive Show Jumping Horse
- Price: $15 million
- D.O.B: May 19, 2003
- Country: France
- Breed: Selle Francais
Palloubet D’Halong was a show jumping, warm blooded horse that left a lasting impression on the equestrian world. Born in 2003 in France, he was bred by the Haras de la Rousseliere stud farm and sold by Georg Kähny to Jan Tops in 2013 for the massive 13.5 million Euro asking price. Palloubet D’Halong had a stunning physique and a bold, athletic presence that drew admiration from all those who watched him compete.
In his career, he won many notable competitions, including the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Chantilly in 2013. Palloubet D’Halong’s talent and success were a testament to his exceptional breeding and training, as well as his own natural abilities. He is one of only two show jumping horses on this list, and the most expensive show jumping horse ever to this day.
Moorland’s Totilas ‘Toto’ – The Most Expensive Dressage Horse
- Price: $9.5 – $15 million
- D.O.B: May 23, 2000
- Country: Netherlands
- Breed: Dutch Warmblood
Moorland’s Tortilas, sometimes just known as ‘Toto’, is widely considered to have been one of the most exceptional competitive dressage horses of all time. The horses achievements include being the first horse to score above 90 in dressage competition, and was a world record holder for a time, for multiple dressage scores including the highest score in Grand Prix Freestyle Dressage.
Tortilas was sold in 2010 to breeder Paul Schockemöhle, for an amount that was undisclosed at the time but believed to be between $9.5 – $15 million. The sale was not without controversy, as original Dutch rider Edward Gal was fully expecting the horse to be part of the 2012 Olympic team for the Netherlands. The sale to a German breeder threw an iron to that. The horse was put out to stud in this same year, while still competing for shows and titles.
Seattle Dancer
- Price: $13.1 million
- D.O.B: April 22, 1984
- Country: USA
- Breed: Thoroughbred
Seattle Dancer was a Thoroughbred racehorse born in 1984 who became known for his exceptional racing ability and good looks. He was purchased as a yearling in 1985 by a coalition of 6 owners, including Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien and English breeder Robert Sangster for $13.1 million. This was a record-breaking price for a yearling at the time.
Seattle Dancer had his debut race in 1987 in which he placed third, before going on to win his next two races. In his 5 major races, he placed first twice, second once, third once and sixth once.
Seattle Dancer was retired from racing in 1988, and was put out to stud becoming a successful breeding stallion. He sired several stakes winners, 37 in total, including Seattle Rhyme who won the 1991 Racing Post Trophy.
Meydan City
- Price: $11.7 million
- D.O.B: 2005
- Country: Kentucky, USA
- Breed: Bay Thoroughbred
Meydan City is a thoroughbred racehorse, with a solid bloodline, sired by Kingmambo, a very successful stud horse. As a yearling, the horse was sold for $11.7 million, and went on to finish third, then first in their first two races. Meydan City raced into their 4th year, and was then put out to stud, and they have had fair success in this capacity to date.
Snaafi Dancer
- Price: $10.2 million
- D.O.B: February 25, 1982
- Country: USA
- Breed: Thoroughbred
Snaafi Dancer was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was born in 1982 in the United States. He was known for his impressive pedigree, and was both the first yearling thoroughbred and first of any age to sell for over $10 million. His sire, Northern Dancer, was one of the most influential sires in the history of Thoroughbred racing, and his dam, My Bupers, was a multiple graded stakes winner.
Despite his infamous lineage, Snaafi Dancer was never raced publicly, considered to be ’embarrassingly slow’. He was retired to stud but was discovered to have ferility problems and only managed to sire 4 foals with very limited success. He was equally as unsuccessful as The Green Monkey in race and stud, but not quite as expensive a failure.
Jalil
- Price: $9.7 million
- D.O.B: February 15, 2004
- Country: USA
- Breed: Thoroughbred
Jalil was born in 2004 at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, USA. He was sold as a yearling for $9.7 million and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, a renowned trainer from Dubai. His grand sire was the notorious Northern Dancer, and his sire was Storm Cat, a very successful sire horse.
Jalil had a four year racing career, with most of his success coming toward the end of his mostly positive career. Despite not always coming out on top, Jalil’s speed and endurance made him a formidable competitor on the track.
After his racing career, Jalil retired to stud in China, and has since moved hands into private ownership.
Most Expensive Draft Horse Ever Sold
Captain Jim
- Price: $112, 500
- Sale Date: February 20, 2003 at 2 Years Old
- Country: Illinois, USA
- Breed: Belgian Draft
McIlrath’s Captain Jim is a prime example of the difference in price between racing or competing horses, and draught horses. In comparison to the most expensive racehorses and show horses, Captain Jim’s sale price of $112,500 is mediocre. But in terms of a draught horse, this is the most expensive sale price ever.
Draft horses are typically large, powerful horse breeds, employed as working breeds for farming, pulling and weight bearing.