There can’t be many horse lovers around the world who haven’t heard of the magnificent Valegro! This top-level dressage horse has amazed us all with his awe-inspiring displays of movement and balance. But how much is a horse like Valegro worth?
The first factor is whether the horse has a useful athletic life ahead of it. If a horse is young and free from injury, it will have a higher value than one that is older and near to retirement.
It is estimated that Valegro is worth an incredible $7.7 million – so far beyond the reach of most people! And as his owners say that Valegro would never be sold, it seems we will never find out how much someone would be prepared to pay for him.
Valegro is a gelding – this is a male horse that has been neutered. His athletic potential was not spotted when he was a young horse. This meant that he was castrated, like the vast majority of male horses.
Valegro has such a high value because of his past achievements. So, although he is now retired from competition, he is worth over seven million dollars due to his medal record.
The value of a horse depends on its usefulness as either an equine athlete or for breeding purposes. A top-level stallion could be worth tens of millions of dollars and have stud fees of over $100,000 per mare.