In the old days, those with cars were considered wealthy, but now those with horses. This article is about the most expensive horses ever sold.
Beauty is subjective, yet we have different tangible embodiments of beautiful things in our world. Some of these are unalive, and some are alive. While animals are gorgeous (well, except some of them), horses are all beautiful, loyal companies of humans, and they have been for a long time. This quality makes them so expensive nowadays, and in this article of Tech Trends, we want to introduce the most expensive horses of all time.
Most Expensive Horses Ever Sold; Invaluable Horses!
Annihilator
Some online sources don’t mention Annihilator as one of the most expensive horses in the world, but he reportedly was brought for $19 million, which would mean he was well deserving of a place on the list of most expensive horses of all time. The Thoroughbred racehorse only won around $3,000 in prize money. Little is known about his offspring, but it can be assumed they met with only moderate success.
Fusaichi Pegasus
In 2000, a horse named Fusaichi Pegasus sold for an incredible $72 million. That insanely steep price tag broke the previous world record of $40 million held by Shareef Dancer. Fusaichi Pegasus was a Kentucky Derby winner and ran just one more race after Ashford Stud purchased him.
Beyond the Kentucky Derby, this horse won three races in a row at Santa Anita, a thoroughbred race track. Later, Fusaichi Pegasus, the king of the most expensive horses ever, pulled ahead during the final stretch of the Wood Memorial thoroughbred race, securing yet another win. With such an impressive career, breeders were excited by the possibilities of this horse. Initial bids came in at $30-50 million, but the final sale totaled more than $70 million.
Going Global
An Irish showjumper named Greg Broderick rode Going Global at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Showjumping is a horseback riding competition where riders and horses navigate a jumping course, attempting to clear the hurdles as quickly as possible.
Going Global sold for about $13.4 million shortly after competing at the 2016 Olympics and now is among the most expensive horses ever sold. When the sale was announced, Greg Broderick said the two had shared an “unbelievable journey, from novice classes in Ireland to making dreams come…[true]…with [the] Olympic Games.”
Jalil
Jalil is an American Thoroughbred purchased in 2005 as a yearling for $9.7 million. He is one of the most expensive horses of all time, the grandson of Northern Dancer and was sired by Storm Cat. He wasn’t wildly successful in racing and was retired to stand at stud in China in 2011. For the most part, his descendants were not especially notable in performance.
Justify
In 2018, a thoroughbred racehorse named Justify was valued at an impressive $75 million. Justify was a chestnut son of Scatcat. The horse was purchased at Keeneland’s September yearling auction for $500,000. He began his racing career as a three-year-old and was undefeated in his six-race career, winning the Triple Crown—the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes—in 2018.
He was only the thirteenth horse in history to achieve this feat, and his racing triumphs made him immensely valuable. His breeding rights were sold to Coolmore for $60 million combined with his $15 million winnings putting his value at $75 million. Justify is known by many as one of the most expensive horses in the world.
Marwan Al Shaqab
Marwan not only has a spot in any list of the most expensive horses ever, but is considered the most valuable Arabian horse of all time. Its owner was offered 20 million for the stallion but the offer was rejected. Since Marwan wasn’t sold, Padron retains the most expensive Arabian horse title.
Meydan City
Although the information on Meydan City is limited, reports say the horse is a thoroughbred that sold for more than $11 million in 2006. Thoroughbred horses are known for their athletic abilities and refined appearance. Incredibly, this breed can reach top running speeds of 40 mph.
John Ferguson purchased Meydan City, a shiny star in any list of the most expensive horses ever sold. John is the bloodstock manager for Sheikh Mohammed, which means he buys horses for breeding and racing on Sheikh Mohammed’s behalf.
Moonin The Eagle
Moonin The Eagle sold at the 2018 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale for an all-time racing Quarter Horse stallion at $2,100,000. He was a champion racehorse who had won 10 of his 14 career starts. Along the way, he set two track records: Remington Park 440 yards at:20.808 seconds and the 440-yard track record at Hialeah Park in: 21.192 seconds. Moonin The Eagle also had a successful career as a sire; his records are only one of the reasons he is in any guide to the most expensive horses of all time.
Padron
Padron was a renowned show horse in halter. He was the Canadian National Champion Stallion at halter in 1981 and followed that up with an impressive U.S title win one year later. Padron was also a successful stud who left behind an incredible legacy. He sired 770 pure-bred offspring, including 50 winners of National Shows; 12 international champions with over 180 others that ranked. No list of the most expensive horses ever sold is complete without his name.
Palloubet d’Halong
Palloubet d’Halong is another expensive showjumper that sold for millions. The Selle Francis was purchased in 2013 as a gift for an Australian rider named Edwina Tops-Alexander. At the time of the sale, Edwina impressively ranked at #14 on Longines World Rankings of competitive riders.
Palloubet d’Halong was developed by Janika Sprunger, a showjumping rider from Switzerland who competed at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. With a sale price of about $15 million, Palloubet d’Halong is easily known as one of the most expensive horses ever.
Seattle Dancer
In 1985, a man named Warner Jones Jr. sold Seattle Dancer to a bloodstock agency in the U.K. Seattle Dancer was the son of Nijinsky II, an iconic, award-winning racehorse. With his desirable bloodline in mind, bidding for Seattle Dancer quickly reached $9 million before closing at just over $13 million.
Sadly, Seattle Dancer died in June 2007 at the age of 23. Seattle Dancer competed in several races throughout his career, including the Grand Prix de Paris, where he won second place. Therefore, many consider this champ as one of the most expensive horses ever sold.
Shareef Dancer
Shareef Dancer was a thoroughbred racehorse that sold for an astounding $40 million in 1983. The horse sold for just $3.3 million three years before that record-shattering sale.
Although it’s hard to find details about this item of our list of the most expensive horses of all time, reports say Shareef Dancer’s sire was Northern Dancer. A horse’s “sire” is its male parent. Interestingly, Northern Dancer was the first Canadian-born horse to win the iconic Kentucky Derby and one of the most expensive horses ever sold.
Snaafi Dancer
In 1983, a colt named Snaafi Dancer sold for a staggering $10.2 million. The horse was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed, a wealthy buyer from the United Arab Emirates.
Snaafi Dancer was a thoroughbred racehorse, so he was destined to be expensive, but that $10 million price tag was still somewhat surprising. Bidding started at $1 million before quickly reaching $3 million just 10 seconds after the auction began. According to someone familiar with the auction, Sheikh Mohammed bid on Snaafi Dancer because he was the “best-looking horse” for sale.
Though known as one of the most expensive horses in the world, Snaafi Dancer never actually raced. That’s a big deal when it comes to ultra-expensive racehorses. As it turned out, Snaafi Dancer wasn’t great at racing, so the owners decided not to enter him in competitions. This is one of the most expensive horses ever sold.
The Green Monkey
The Green Monkey was initially purchased for just $425,000 by Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo. Incredibly, the duo sold him just seven months later for a whopping $16 million. Although he came with a steep price tag, The Green Monkey was retired just two years after his record-breaking sale.
Sadly, The Green Monkey died at the age of 14 in 2018. The horse had laminitis, a painful disease affecting the animal’s hooves. When his death was announced, The Green Monkey’s former owner said, “He was a once-in-a-lifetime horse.” No wonder his name is mentioned every list of the most expensive horses ever.
Totilas
Totilas, as one of the most expensive horses ever sold, was a dressage horse on the Dutch national team (dressage is a form of competitive horse riding involving specific riding styles). During his lifetime, Totilas won a variety of highly competitive events, including the FEI Dressage World Cup Final.
With such an impressive competitive record, Totilas and Edward Gal (his rider) were believed to be headed for the 2012 Olympic games. However, in a surprising twist, Totilas was purchased by a German breeder. As a result, Totilas could no longer compete on the Dutch dressage Olympic team. Totilas, one of the most expensive horses ever sold, passed away in 2020, about ten years after selling for about $10.6 million.
The prerequisites in taking care of an expensive horse breed
Even when some riding partners are more expensive than others, they require the standard do’s and don’ts when caring for any horse. A good, quality diet is a must and, depending on their metabolism, as much as they need to maintain a good weight.
Proper hygiene and grooming are a must, such as brushing, inspecting their hooves, and the like. Depending on the breed, some may have thicker or thinner skin than other breeds. It is best to do your research to know if you need to be gentler in brushing, if necessary. Purchasing the best horse tack that money can buy is essential to bring comfort and maximum performance to you and your equine. A periodic check-up with the horse doctor is advised to ward off any underlying conditions or diseases.
Are expensive horses worth the price? Yes. As an equine lover, you most likely understand best the reasons behind the price tag. Moreover, you’re not just buying a horse; you’re buying its rich history, impeccable pedigree, careful breeding, and years of training and care.
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Source: Tech Trends