I’m not looking for a horse and there’s honestly no reason behind this, I’m just genuinely curious. How much does a junior jumper, junior hunter, or big eq horse generally go for? I know it depends on a ton of factors, but for just an average&nice junior hunter, junior jumper, or big eq horse, what’s the general price range?
To be competitive in those divisions you’re looking at an average of upper 5’s to low 6 figures. Like you said though there are obviously tons of variables.
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Whatever someone’s willing to pay for it LOL.
In all seriousness, it depends on so many factors. Someone will get an eq horse for $50k, someone else will spend $300-500k or more. There are horses that can physically DO 3’6” or 1.20, and then there are the winners. Factors like your location, horse age, health, general ride-ability, all add up. The range depends on so much that it’s hard to say “sure, the average cost is X.”
In Zone 3, a winning junior hunter (consistent, good style, hack winner) - easily low six figures, I’d say.
I know that doesn’t help much!!
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Oh no that definitely helps, thank you!
i’m in Zone 3 and that sounds about right for a junior hunter. What would you say for a solid 1.20-1.30m junior jumper?
$80k - $300k, depending on your definition of “solid”.
We specialize in marketing for this particular market. If you click the EHJ link in my sig you can peruse a cross-section of pricing from all over the country (geography matters).
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A real AA circuit Junior Jumper Division horse is not a 1.2 or topped out at 1.3m horse, that’s the Child/Adult Jumper division. Junior Jumper is just a cut below a GP horse as are the courses they compete over, which can include open water. One of those that is successfully competing on the AA circuit is big bucks indeed, six figures easy.
Child/Adult horses around 1.2m are all over the place pricewise but if they are currently competing successfully on the rated circuits, they are going to price up. Never showed rated Jumpers but isn’t Ch/ Ad just a C rated division? Somebody help me out here.
Anyway, if you are talking AA circuit quality with a good record, it’s like asking what a NASCAR Cup car or a Ferrari road race car costs to own and operate. In both examples there plenty of lower cost opportunitues to own and compete at lower levels. Not cheap mind you, just more manageable.
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“solid” 1.20-1.30m assumes he or she can safely compete at that level and not top out at schooling these jumps. Otherwise, like findeight said, you’re better looking at a good child adult horse who can show the 1.10.
A real competitor at 1.20+ (note the higher you go, the bigger the price tag id say) would run you the same as. A nice junior hunter in Z3. Start at low six figures for - “can get around no faults” and increase the price for scope, competitiveness, and rideability. Long story short - not cheap! This in IMO in that zone - in other places, you might find one mid-high fives, but Zone 3 tends to skew more expensive than, say, somewhere middle of the country.
Edited to add - Also IME, Zone 3 does not run anything above the High CH/AA (1.10-1.15) at “C” rated and some "A"s (McDonogh, some at PG). The 1.20+ runs at places like Culpeper and Lexington most often, IIRC, which is at least A if not AA from a hunter rating perspective.
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Ch/AA maxes at 1.15m; a 1.20m-1.30m junior jumper is a Low Junior Jumper, and there are plenty of places on the A circuit where you can get away with showing the Low Juniors and never have to jump an actual 1.30m fence; but it is still the Junior Jumpers. The OP was actually refreshingly specific; she wasn’t asking about a true High Junior Jumper, which is the overqualified Grand Prix horse you’re thinking of and definitely starts in the 6 figs. But a decent Low Jr/AO Jumper? Depending on how accurate you are, or how soft the course designers are in your area (because entry numbers don’t support max spec), you can even get those in the mid 5s.
I don’t put a lot of weight in division ratings. They don’t serve much purchase other than to say - “Hey, pay the same amount of money to attend this show but don’t expect any national recognition”. The show rating & location is much more informative in order to determine if you need a “true” anything to show there.
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Letter ratings refer to Hunters only. Jumpers aren’t rated; shows get a numerical level based on the total prize money in the Jumper division. Tryon has several B rated hunter horse shows with FEI Jumper divisions. Mileage restrictions prevent them from running A hunter divisions at these shows. Child/Adult Jumpers are Zone sections now which are run by USHJA.
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I go to Culpeper, Lexington, and PG all the time - what is IIRC though?
That is soo much money for horse. How do families afford to buy into and maintain such a sport.??>
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^^^^ to the vast majority of owners/lesees it is a lot of money, but when you see the names out there, where money is no object, you understand…then there is the trainers’ commissions, sometimes multiple commissions and the training, show coaching, trailer and truck, vets, etc. — I’d say go Western, there are cheques there.
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly.
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Some people take out loans, refinance the house, etc. Some people are already well off. Some catch ride. It is a very expensive sport.
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Some buy them green and make them up themselves.
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Some find a way to marry rich. Some get amazing jobs and figure out how to do time management better than the average joe. I mean, the list can go on and on and on and on.
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I just looked at the sales list available for the Capitol Challenge horse show. Informative! The $ category is defined as <$100k. $$$$ is >$200k. That gives you some idea of what the top hunters and eq horses sell for.
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What a brilliant idea!! I just looked at it too - very interesting to see. Thank you!!
Where do you find the list?
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