Prices of Horses in upper tier Western competition

[saddleup]

I have Paints, and showed regionally in all-around amateur classes at APHA shows. I’d say the average amount spent by the riders with my trainer was $35K, with a couple paying $50K and one who turned down over $100K for her horse who was winning at the highest level nationally. Another is looking now for a new horse and has a six figure budget and can’t find anything right now.

I bought my show horse through my trainer’s contacts, but know of quite a few people who found theirs through Dreamhorse.com. Actually attending the World Show is where many horses are bought and sold through word of mouth and advertising at the show.

[CRTXLaw]

Thanks again everyone, this is great information. It is interesting to get an idea of how things compare.

[hokie98]

In regards to QH’s, saddleup’s comments would apply for that breed as well. Typically when people are looking for a top tier western pleasure horse, they generally are working through their trainer, and on the flip side, when someone is selling a horse of that caliber, the trainer is trying to sell it as well on commission; so it’ll be listed on the trainer’s website, etc. Word of mouth (which includes selling at the major horse shows) is big, but when it comes to the internet, seems as if DreamHorse is the most popular QH selling page.

[notanotherone]

I know several 1D barrel racing horses in the Mid-Atlantic that have sold in the past 10 years for $85-$125k

[Appsolute]

Top western horses can sell for a LOT.

Look at the Rita Crundwell case - she was that AQHA breeder / shower who embezzled millions to support her “habit”.

They auctioned her horses off.

http://www.professionalauction.com/12_PDF/12RC_Phase_2.pdf

AQHA stallion “Good I Will Be” - performance halter horse sold for $775,000

Another stallion sold for $249,000, a mare sold for well over $100,000.

In a separate auction one mare sold for $226,000, and yet another for $130,000

http://www.aqha.com/Journal/News/2012/September/09132012-Rita-Crundwell-online-auction-results.aspx

Top AQHA show horses - especially ones that can be bred can sell for some high dollars.

[RhythmNCruise]

Just for fun, in case you guys haven’t seen this before. Here’s the western pleasure sire Invitation Only when he was sold at an auction several years back. He brought $2.35 million. I don’t know of any western pleasure horse that’s ever topped that for a price tag. Of course, he’s one of the top sires of all time in the discipline, so that’s why he brought the money. It’s kind of amazing to watch, especially when it’s just a little (15.1 hands, I think) dark bay horse, quiet as a mouse, just moseying around the sale ring while the people around him go bananas! LOL!

Here he is… https://youtu.be/J9YTvnqAqJM

[TheHunterKid90]

In the reining world, you can get a local competitor to show in. Green and rookie classes for $7500-10,000. Your limited non pro and youth horses are in the 20-35k range. Non pro and open horses are an open ended price range, but I would say from 35k and up.
And example is a 2 y.o colt out of my filly’s grandmother sold for $220,000 at the nrha futurity sale last November. Is this normal? No, but it’s not uncommon for 2 year olds to go for 30-40k a piece.
I know we do not advertise on any sites like dream horse or equine.com. Most of our sales are word of mouth and a select few are posted on our Website and Facebook page.

[clanter]

[QUOTE=Flash44;8108092]
![](orgeous, clanter! Which prompts me to comment, you have to also consider that many breed shows have Western classes in multiple disciplines.[/QUOTE]

often a good western horse can be crossed over into other disciplines… the attached photo shows my kid’s horse at the same show being shown by older son and younger daughter under western tack, then younger daughter under hunter tack, the horse changes with the tack

[IMG]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b386/clanter/Foxiefoorplacement.jpg)

[LJStarkey]

There are two sale companies that handle the majority of upper-tier QH sales:

Western Bloodstock
http://www.westernbloodstock.com/

Professional Horse Services
http://www.prohorseservices.com/About_Us.php

You can look up sale results on their websites. That said, the majority of upper-tier horses DO NOT go through auctions.

For the most part, prospects go through the auctions – horses that haven’t proven themselves yet.

Example: In the Western Bloodstock Super Stakes sale, an embryo sold for $20,000.

Horses that have proven themselves go for much much much more money.

Much more. Much much more. And they’re only available through private sales.

When you say “upper tier,” what do you mean?

Are you looking at discipline-specific competition? Breed show competition? And at what level within that competition do you consider it “upper level?”

If you can clarify what those words mean to you, we can give you better answers.

Is this a project for a class? I’m wondering whether your thesis isn’t too broad for you to get applicable data.

Or are you starting a business?

I started trying to answer your question and then realized I’m not sure what your question is.

[potteryshop]

I wonder how much, if any, price difference there is by breed. AQHA vs Morgan vs Paint vs App, etc. High price by discipline? or breed?