Since ancient times, horses have been of great importance to humans. They helped people both in peacetime and during battles. The horse was irreplaceable, and its loss was irreplaceable. Grace, power and speed are the qualities of a horse that have always attracted people. For many warriors, a horse was not only a means of transportation, but also a comrade in arms and a faithful friend.
flickr/Arman_Zhenikeyev
And even now, when it is likely that the glory days of horses are already in the distant past, when trains and cars have displaced them from many areas of activity, horses continue to perform their main function, namely, to help us people! Participation in horse racing, service in law enforcement agencies or classes with people with disabilities are only part of the list where a horse is in the service of a person.
The horse is not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most expensive animals on the planet. The cost of a good thoroughbred horse can exceed the cost of the most expensive exclusive car. However, not all horses can boast of such a price, since there were and are only about a dozen of the most expensive horses in the world.
Frankel
Purebred English stallion Frankel. The most expensive to date is considered to be a 4-year-old British stallion named Frankel. After Frankel won 14 victories in a row, his value doubled. The last was a victory at Ascot in the Champion's Stakes (London). It was after this victory that the price of the horse increased to 200 million dollars.
flickr/CharlesFred
14 victories and not a single defeat! And all these victories were won in the most prestigious competitions. The most expensive horse belongs to Prince of Saudi Arabia Khalil Abdullah. The owner of the stallion stated that Frankel showed his best side, and therefore he will no longer take part in competitions. Now Khalil Abdullah intends to use the horse as a sire.
flickr/RacingKel
As Frankel's trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, told the press: “I have a lot of affection for this stallion and it's not about his victories. He is just an amazing horse - he helped me recover from cancer, and I am grateful to him for that. Frankel is the best! And I’m not sure that nature will ever create a more perfect horse...”
TOP 15 most expensive horses in the world
In fact, there are not so many horses that cost millions; there are no more than a dozen of them in the world.
The most expensive horse breed is the English (British) racing horse, followed by the Arabian horse. These horses are the most durable and fast, and the cost of their foals can reach up to $1 million. The most expensive horse was sold for $40 million.
On average, Russian racehorses can cost from 8 to 15 thousand dollars, British breed - about 200-250 thousand dollars, and horses that take part in other types of riding will cost about 5 thousand dollars. If we talk about universal breeds, then the price does not exceed 3 thousand dollars, and working horses cost even less.
But here you will see only the most expensive horses in the whole world.
Sour cream
Our rating opens with an Arabian horse of a chic and rare color, which was bought by Count Orlov himself for 60 thousand rubles. back in the 18th century, or more precisely in 1774. At that time it was a fortune. The horse was given the nickname Smetanka, for his unusually beautiful color. By the way, it was with this horse that the history of breeding the Oryol Trotter breed began, which today is famous not only in Russia.
Strongman
The most expensive heavy Belgian breed in history was a stallion named Strongman. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was purchased by a builder from Australia for $47.5 thousand. To this day, not a single heavy truck has been sold for more than the Strongman.
Instable Gold
The next expensive stallion is the horse Instable Gold, owned by Ramzan Kadyrov. The Volgograd stud farm sold him to the head of the Chechen Republic for $300 thousand. Today, this is the most expensive horse in Russia, according to registration of official sales in the Russian Federation.
Stay Thirsty
American Thoroughbred Stay Thirsty from Kentucky was sold for half a million dollars to Todd Pletcher. In his career, Stay won the race 5 times, thereby earning $2 million, recouping his cost and bringing profit to the owners.
Lord Sinclair
Outstanding German champion Lord Sinclair, two-time winner of the Young Horse Championship. Each of his 20 descendants was worth $1.6 million.
Poetin
This gelding won the championship in Germany in 2003 and was a world class horse. At a prestigious auction at PSI, the stallion was sold for $3.3 million, which was a record amount at that time.
Sardar
The unsurpassed and legendary stallion Sardar was at one time valued at $3.5 million. He was the winner of many races in which he set world records, 8 of which no one has “jumped” to date. He won his first victory at the age of two in 1965.
Pine Chip
Another record holder was sold for $4 million. The stallion was worth the money, because he was the absolute record holder for covering a distance of one mile among trotters, his time was 1 minute 51 seconds in 1994.
Mystic Park
The Mystic Park stallion was already a multiple winner of various competitions at the age of three. In 1982, the horse was bought by Lana Lobell for $5 million.
Secretariat
The stallion of the English racing breed Secretariat was sold for $6.08 million. This handsome thoroughbred was a repeated winner and record holder at horse races.
Seattle Dancer
The horse Seattle Dancer was purchased in 1985 for incredible money for a horse - $13.1 million. This was historically the highest price for a horse at that time. Such a considerable price for this stallion was because in his pedigree there was a famous representative who won international races three times.
Green Monkey
For the same reason as the previous stallion, the Green Monkey horse was sold at an expensive price in 2006 - for $16 million. At the time of the sale, he did not take part in the races, but his family included multiple winners of various championships.
Annicheilator
A thoroughbred stallion, a pacer with excellent speed qualities and bright colors, with the unusual nickname Anniheilator, was sold for $19 million in 1989.
Sharif Dancer
The most expensive horse, which absolutely did not live up to the hopes of the new owners, was the English racing stallion Sharif Dancer, whose cost at the time of sale was $40 million. He was bought, so to speak, by a pool of a whole group of people, dividing this amount into shares. The price for this stallion increased to 40 million after two high-profile victories in the 1983 Irish Derby Stakes and King Edward VII Stakes. However, after the sale, the horse never won a race again. Maybe he shouldn’t have changed owners?
Frenkel
The most expensive horse in the whole world and in history was awarded to an English racing stallion named Frenkel. He is valued at an incredible amount of $200 million. This price is rightfully deserved, since the horse has no defeats in his career. He won the most prestigious races 14 times. But perhaps this legendary and invincible horse will never be sold, since its owner Khalil Abdula is not going to put his charge up for auction. He will also no longer race and will most likely become an elite sire.
Sharif Dancer
Purebred English stallion Sharif Dancer. The closest in price to Frankul is a purebred 3-year-old stallion named Shareef Dancer.
Stallion named Shareef Dancer
In 1983, it was purchased for $40 million. It is worth noting that despite the fact that this horse is the son of winning horses, he never won more than one competition, which disappointed his owner.
Moorlands Totilas
This stallion was born in 2000, he belongs to the Dutch Warmblood breed. The main color is black, all 4 socks are white. The parents were Ser Gribaldi and Dam Lominka.
From 2006-2011 the stallion was named Totilas Moorland and Toto. He is one of the top dressage horses and the first to score 90 points in a dressage competition. Moorlands Totilas held the world record for the highest dressage score in the Freestyle Grand Prix. The stallion competed at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010 and, together with rider Edward Gal, accumulated numerous world records in international competition, earning them the nickname rock stars in the horse world.
The stallion was removed from the competition in 2015. It became one of the record holders in terms of value at the end of 2010 – then it was sold for $21 million . It was this sale that marked the beginning of the end of the stallion’s career: the new owners were unable to reach their previous heights, and the horse was injured several times.
Green Monkey
Thoroughbred riding stallion Green Monkey. The most expensive horse of the 21st century is the stallion Green Monkey. At an auction that took place in 2006, this horse was sold for $16,000,000 ($16 million). It is noteworthy that before the sale he had never even taken part in competitions. The cost of the horse was determined only by its exceptional pedigree.
Dell Hancock
His parents were three-time champions of prestigious competitions held in Kentucky. At that time, the stallion was only two years old, and he had excellent speed qualities. In 10 seconds, Green Monkey could run 201 meters! Today the owner of this beautiful horse is a certain Demi O'Byrne from Ireland.
Soviet heavy draft
The requirements that were dictated by the need to have increased carrying capacity during the period of mass state construction led to the development of this type of mounted assistants. They were obtained from a union of Belgian draft horses with local individuals. Due to their availability, they became very popular among peasants.
Already at the age of three they can begin to perform their functions in agriculture. This is a fairly high figure; other horses in the world mature a little later.
Among lovers of delicacies, the Soviet draft horse is of great interest because its meat is of high quality. This is achieved only when raising heavy animals for meat and profile purposes, otherwise the initial product is of insufficient quality.
Annicheilator
Purebred stallion Anniheilator. One of the most expensive horses is a pacer named Annihilator.
Purebred stallion Anniheilator
It was sold in 1989 for $19,200,000 ($19.2 million). In addition to excellent speed qualities, this horse could boast a magnificent dark chocolate color and a luxurious long mane.
Mustang from North America
Horse breed – Mustang
The Mustang is one of the most popular and expensive breeds that are kept in private collections or used for organizing horse racing. The breed was domesticated back in the sixteenth century by colonists who arrived in North America from Europe. Selection was carried out between feral semi-wild horses, habituating them and then using them for their needs. Mustangs look proud and majestic. The height of the horse at the withers can reach 150 centimeters, and the weight varies from 300 to 400 kilograms.
Mustangs have long legs, a large croup, an elegant long neck with a large head and expressive eyes. Bay, red, and piebald mustangs are available for sale. The cost of one horse can reach 50-60 thousand dollars.
Seattle Dancer
Purebred English horse Seattle Dancer/via
The wonderful stallion Seattle Dancer was put up for auction in 1085 and sold for $13,100,000 ($13.1 million). And this is quite natural, since his parents were famous champions of international competitions.
Recommendations for choosing a breed
Expensive horses have always been considered a symbol of prestige. It is necessary to remember that the more thoroughbred the horse, the higher its cost. Having purchased such an animal, you need to constantly monitor its health, provide comfortable living conditions, and protect it from injuries and mutilations.
A very good option would be Arabian and purebred English racing horses. They have agility, endurance and excellent performance over long distances. But at the same time, they can be purchased mainly only at auctions, where prices can reach several million. Some particularly valuable horses are not offered for sale, which limits your purchasing options.
There are no general recommendations for purchasing expensive horses, since circumstances may differ in each specific case. The only thing that can help you with your purchase is advice from experienced breeders and reviews of stud farms, which give a complete picture of the company’s activities.
A competent choice of horse breed will save you from significant hassle, help you gain experience in caring for the animal, and will simply bring you pleasure.
Secretariat
Purebred English stallion Secretariat. The legendary thoroughbred stallion named Secretariat was valued at $6,080,000 ($6.08 million). For 25 years, he managed to set high records in the Triple Crown races - the Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby.
The legendary thoroughbred stallion named Secretariat/Dell Hancock.
To this day, not a single horse has been able to achieve such a record. As a result of an incurable disease, he was euthanized and buried at the Claiborne farm, Paris, in 1989. It is worth noting that Secretariat’s heart was 2.5 times larger than that of ordinary horses.
Breeding
Breeding, like keeping horses, is a rather expensive and labor-intensive activity. Due to a number of difficulties and the need for solid start-up capital, the number of people willing to start such a business is small. A horse is a capricious animal, so care is required at the highest level. If there is a financial and physical possibility of implementation, then profit from such an enterprise is guaranteed.
Any business starts with drawing up a business plan. Regarding horse breeding, first of all, the target purpose and the initial number of animals are prescribed. When they plan to breed horses for further participation in racing, the foals are prepared from the very first days until they are 3–4 years old. The selection of appropriate premises is important. They focus on the number of horses at first, taking into account future growth.
The usual place of residence for horses is a barn (barn) and stables. The barn is suitable for 2-3 animals. In the summer, the herd is kept outside, under a canopy. Be sure to have a grassy meadow nearby for walking. For convenience, utility rooms for equipment and feed supplies are built next to the stables. The business plan does not ignore the point of recruiting service personnel. This is in the case of creating a mini-stud farm. You can't cope with such a farm alone.
Having written everything down on paper, they begin to take action. First, breeding individuals are purchased for the starting herd. In this matter, you cannot do without consulting professionals, because this will directly affect the health of the offspring in the future. Savings are inappropriate here. The selection of breeding horses is carried out according to several indicators: exterior, personal qualities, hereditary line, characteristics of the parents. Pairs are selected within one group. This is necessary to maintain the high characteristics of the breed or improve it.
The main selection criteria are as follows:
- origin;
- body weight, constitution;
- exterior;
- endurance;
- color and age;
- milkiness.
The selection of pairs for mating can be heterogeneous and homogeneous. The first option involves breeding animals with weak pedigree traits and high ones. Then the advantages of one parent more than compensate for the disadvantages of the other. In the second case, both copies are of high quality. This way it is possible to improve the breed or get a new one of the highest class.
Pine Chip
Purebred pacer stallion Pine Chip/sporthorse-data.com
Purebred pacer stallion Pine Chip. The horse named Pine Chip is a multiple and absolute record holder among trotters in 2000 at a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km), which he covered in 1.51 minutes. Was sold for $4,000,000 ($4 million).
Mystic Park
This American trotter was distinguished by excellent external and strength characteristics. It became one of the record holders for its value at the age of three - the company Lana Lobell acquired it in 1982 for $5.5 million . Even then, this amount was completely justified, since the stallion repeatedly won equestrian competitions and managed to receive the prestigious Dextra Cup.
Mystic Park not only participated in horse racing, but was also used for breeding purposes. Among his offspring there are several champions.
Sour cream
Arabian horse named Smetanka. Smetanka is a real Arabian horse. It was purchased by Count Alexei Grigorievich Orlov from the Turkish Sultan in 1774 (according to other sources in 1774) for 60 thousand silver rubles.
Arabian horse named Smetanka.
At that time, this was a very large sum, for which one could buy an entire palace! Due to its unusual silver-white color, the horse received the name “Smetanny”, and later the affectionate nickname “Smetanka” was assigned to him. So Smetanka became the founder of the famous Oryol trotter breed.
Shires
These are draft heavy trucks of English origin. They trace their ancestry back to knightly horses, and those – from the descendants of the horses of the Roman conquerors. The exact origin of the breed is unknown. But it is assumed that the Shires were obtained by crossing local English breeds with the Flemish and Friesian breeds. Shires are the largest horses on the planet. Their weight reaches 800-1220 kg. There are specimens weighing up to one and a half tons. Breed Features:
- Height – 170-190 cm. There have been cases when the height of representatives of the breed reached 2 m.
- Suit. Shires can be black, bay, karak, gray.
- Exterior. The body is powerful and proportional. Wide and strong back. Long and muscular croup. The skull is massive, the forehead is wide. Ears are sharp. The fluffy tail is set high. The legs are powerful. The hooves are strong and large. Friezes at the bottom of the legs. A distinctive feature is a bald spot on the head and “stockings” on the hind legs.
- Usage. Today they are rarely used in agricultural work. More often they can be seen at exhibitions and various horse breeding events.
Shires are distinguished by their balanced and calm character. Easily manageable and trainable. They are slow but strong. At 3 years old, a Shire is capable of moving a load five times its weight - that is, 5000-6000 kg.
Poetin
This Germanic mare was renowned for her hard work and discipline, and her pedigree was old and distinguished. The dark bay Poetess changed owners several times; its record price was in 2003 - $3.3 million . Previously, the mare was rated an order of magnitude lower, but the situation changed when she received 10 out of 10 points in dressage. The World Championship was triumphant for her. She lived only 8 years.
Palloubet d'Halong
This horse is the most expensive jumping horse in the world. For 4 years, his rider was well-known in show jumping, Janika Spanger. Together they won many victories. Palloubet d'Halong is one of the best horses in world competition.
The horse was sold in 2013. The buyer was Dutch Olympic medalist Jan Tops. The purchase price was $15 million, although lower amounts were quoted.
At first it was rumored that Tops bought the horse for his wife Edwina Alexander-Tops, but it later turned out that lesser-known Qatari riders understood this - Tops is the coach of the Qatar national show jumping team.
World manufacturer
A racing stallion with his own line of offspring, High Brow Cat. By 2009, he received the title of the best sire in the world, since all his descendants have excellent racing results.
Even taking into account that the horse today is unable to breed mares on its own, it is still used as a sire.
For this purpose, only its biomaterial is purchased. Despite such difficulties and the age of the horse, the cost of the most popular horse for covering mares is $10 million.
Shareef Dancer, $40 million
The Emir of Dubai paid $40 million for the stallion of the English racing breed Shareef Dancer in 1983. Having an impeccable exterior, this horse was also distinguished by its extraordinary racing abilities.
Having won many competitions, he won the hearts of many horse racing fans. Shareef Dancer was expected to be a top-notch breeding stallion.
In principle, his career turned out to be extremely successful and profitable: the total income of the winning descendants, including Dubai Millennium, exceeds $2 million.
