Horse Scouts report

The king

Show record below uses USEF public data.

At a glance

How to read
Identity
Confirmed
Level
See show record
Price
No ask · fair range $51,479–$71,464 · worth a call

No asking price on file — get a number from the seller before you go further.

What to do next

Share with your trainer before you go further

Mixed signals in public data. Send this link and ask: “Is this horse worth a phone call?”

  1. Send this report to your trainer and ask whether it is worth a call or trial.
  2. If your trainer is interested, ask for a recent show video at your target level.
  3. Get a clear asking price and what is included before you wire anything.
The king — Horse Scouts buyer research
USEF #5681681 · ZAPATERO VDL x EVITA · 15yo
Price: no ask · fair $51,479–$71,464
Identity: High confidence
Report: https://horsescouts.pro/r/the-king?detail=full

Before you call the seller

Three questions to start — open Full research for contact info and the full checklist.

  1. Book a pre-purchase exam (PPE) with a vet you choose before you buy.
  2. Ask about past injuries, surgeries, or ongoing maintenance the vet should know about.
  3. Why is the horse for sale, and can you ride or trial the horse in person before you commit?

Does the ad check out?

Review

Some items matched and others still need confirmation. Walk through the rows below with your trainer.

What the ad saysPublic recordsOur read
USEF #5681681 Same horse in USEF Checks out
Sire: ZAPATERO VDL ZAPATERO VDL Checks out
Dam: EVITA EVITA Checks out
Asking price Fair range $51,479–$71,464 Fair range only

Is this the right horse?

High confidence

USEF #5681681 and pedigree match the ad · chip …141385. Confirm microchip and papers match the horse you inspect.

Born
1 May 2011
Age
15 years old · USEF foal date
Breed
DUTCH WARMBLOOD
Color
BROWN
Sex
G
Sire
ZAPATERO VDL
Dam
EVITA
U.S. registry #
5681681
Microchip
933000120141385
The king BROWN Gelding · 2011 · KWPN
ZAPATERO VDL
EVITA

International record (FEI)

cross ref sire ZAPATERO VDL · dam EVITA · verify on data.fei.org

Open FEI profile →

Video

Possible video on ClipMyHorse (check it is the same horse) The sire on this profile does not match our records. Open only if the seller confirms it.

How long can you ride this horse?

This horse is 15 years old. If sound, you might get about 2–4 more years of useful jumping at this level.

Do not count on moving up much higher — buy for what you get today. Useful-years estimates follow FEI show-jumping age profiles: peak performance commonly occurs around ages 10–15, with many Grand Prix horses active into the mid-teens and beyond when sound. At 15, buyers often accept age-appropriate imaging change if the record shows continued competitiveness. [5][6]

Vet & pre-purchase exam

Sport-horse literature treats a pre-purchase exam (PPE) as a risk assessment — not pass/fail. Radiographic findings are common in sound jumpers and must be read in context of age, intended use, current performance, and price [1][2].

Before you buy, book an independent sport-horse vet you choose. Share this report so the exam can target gaps between seller claims and public records.

  • Baseline PPE: soundness exam, flexions, and imaging scoped to price point and intended use [4].
  • Fetlock remodeling, hock arthritis, prior joint maintenance, and moderate radiographic change are frequently observed at this stage.
  • The key question is durability: has this horse stayed in work despite these findings?
  • Radiographs alone are weak predictors of future performance — clinical soundness and recent results matter more.
  • Ask for injury history, surgeries, joint maintenance, and any prior vet records the seller can share.

About 57% of prepurchase exams document at least one potentially prejudicial finding — presence alone does not predict future unsoundness [2]. Mild gait asymmetry is also common and may not correlate with clinical lameness [3].

Sources for vet & age guidance
  1. van Hoogmoed & Snyder (1999). van Hoogmoed LM, Snyder JR. Prepurchase Examination of Jumpers and Dressage Horses. AAEP Proceedings, 1999.
  2. Equine Veterinary Journal (2024). Equine Veterinary Journal. "Prejudicial Findings During Prepurchase Examinations," 2024.
  3. University of Utrecht (2022). University of Utrecht. Movement Asymmetries in Horses Presented for PPE and Lameness Evaluation, 2022.
  4. Merck Veterinary Manual. Merck Veterinary Manual. Prepurchase Examination of Horses.
  5. FEI Facts and Figures (2020). FEI Annual Report 2020 — average registered horse age 9.85 years; Jumping athlete demographics and age distribution.
  6. FEI / Bristol University longevity research. FEI Sports Forum (2026) — ongoing FEI–Bristol research on career longevity, competition intensity, and retirement factors in Jumping horses.

Horse Scouts summarizes published sport-horse veterinary literature for informational purposes only. It is not veterinary, legal, or financial advice and creates no legally binding obligation. Consult your own veterinarian before any purchase decision. See our Terms of Service.

Show record

Prize money

Not on file

USEF prize money on file

Last competition

May 24, 2026 Nashville Country · TN

43 - PERFORMANCE HUNTER 3'3 · Placed DNP

Usage rate

8%

3 starts, active 1 of the last 12 months

Goes for

Open / pro

No amateur/junior classes on record — ridden by KAITLYN MORRIS

Eliminations / retirements

0

Completed all 3 starts on record

German national record (equi-score)

skipped No equi-score URL and no European show footprint to search on.

German and Austrian national shows (Kl. E/A/L/M/S) often do not appear on FEI or USEF. Paste an equi-score class result URL when you submit research to target a specific show.

  • 3 USEF class starts · sire ZAPATERO VDL (no YOB on dossier — set identity.yob for full career range)

U.S. record (USEF)

confirmed 3 USEF class starts · sire ZAPATERO VDL (no YOB on dossier — set identity.yob for full career range)

Last competed: May 24, 2026

DateClassPlacingRider
May 24, 2026 43 - PERFORMANCE HUNTER 3'3 DNP KAITLYN MORRIS
May 24, 2026 44 - PERFORMANCE HUNTER 3'3 DNP KAITLYN MORRIS
May 24, 2026 182 - USHJA 2'9 HUNTER DNP KAITLYN MORRIS

Open USEF profile →

Ask the seller

Full question checklist

This report summarizes public records only. Always verify answers with the seller, your trainer, and your vet before you buy.

What the seller says From listing · unverified
Usef 5681681

Seller statements are unverified until USEF, video, and your own inspection back them up.

Similar horses for sale 8 listings

Comparable listings span $20,000–$150,000 — price reflects age, show record, bloodlines, and seller positioning, not jump height alone.

HorseAgePriceLevelDays listedWin rateListing
Hummer RW 14 $85,000 3'9" or 1.15m 47 days 8% View
WKM X-Plora 16 $20,000 3'3" or 1.0m 64 days View
Hokus Pokus 14 $150,000 4'0" or 1.20, 1.25m 77 days 27% View
High Quality 14 $80,000 4'0" or 1.20, 1.25m 86 days 23.6% View
Farn Joy 16 $35,000 3'0" or 0.90, 0.95m View
Honneur van de Bernsehoeve 14 $75,000 3'6" or 1.05, 1.10m 4% View
Hamilton E 14 $85,000 1.15m 444 days View
CVF Connor 13 $35,000 3'6" or 1.05, 1.10m 48 days 20% View
What we could not verify2 gaps

Use these if your trainer wants detail — not a reason to panic on their own.

  • No confirmed ClipMyHorse horse profile — use the search link for possible videos and verify identity.
  • No asking price on file — we show a fair range, not a deal verdict.
Sources & import costs

Where we looked

SourceStatusNotesLink
U.S. show registry (USEF) confirmed 3 USEF class starts · sire ZAPATERO VDL (no YOB on dossier — set identity.yob for full career range) Open
International registry (FEI) cross_ref sire ZAPATERO VDL · dam EVITA · verify on data.fei.org Open
Pedigree (HorseTelex) no_match No row matched sire/dam Open
German national results (equi-score) skipped No equi-score URL and no European show footprint to search on.
Show video (ClipMyHorse) needs_review ClipMyHorse sire Dam Sire's sire Sire's ≠ expected ZAPATERO VDL — confirm match Open

Import costs & logistics

U.S. show jumping relies heavily on imported European warmbloods (KWPN, BWP, Holsteiner, Oldenburg, Selle Français, and others). The listing price is often only part of the investment — veterinary, transport, quarantine, customs, and insurance can add roughly 10–30% or more to landed cost [3].

Estimate for this horse

This listing appears to be in the U.S. — no international import is required for domestic delivery. If you source from Europe instead, use the categories and illustrative totals below as a planning guide.

Typical cost categories

CategoryTypical rangeNotes
Pre-purchase exam (PPE)$1,000–$3,500+Independent vet exam before purchase — not part of shipping but essential risk management.
Export testing & documentation$500–$3,000Health certificates, blood tests, and government export paperwork (varies by origin country).
International air transport$10,000–$25,000+Largest logistics cost — shared vs. private stall, route, and season affect pricing.
Quarantine & federal inspection$1,000–$5,000+USDA port inspection and quarantine length depend on origin disease status (often 3–7 days for EU geldings).
Customs & import brokerage$500–$2,000Specialized equine brokers coordinate USDA, customs entry, and airport logistics.
Ground transportation$500–$3,000+Seller to export airport, then U.S. arrival port to your barn.
Mortality / transit insurance1–4% of value / yrMany buyers insure during transport; annual mortality often scales with horse value.

Illustrative landed totals

Planning bands — actual costs vary by origin, sex (CEM rules for mares/stallions), route, and broker.

Purchase priceTypical import stackEst. landed cost
$50,000 $12,000–$20,000 $62,000–$70,000
$100,000 $12,000–$25,000 $112,000–$125,000
$250,000 $15,000–$35,000 $265,000–$285,000

Evaluate landed cost, not purchase price alone, when comparing to U.S. comps or judging resale potential. Ask the seller for export readiness, quarantine port, and who coordinates USDA paperwork.

Comparable metrics

Market sample: 13 similar listings · median $75,000 · interquartile $35,000–$85,000.

Comparable listings by marketplace: BIGEQ (11) · HJx (2) · catalog 2026-06-25.

Win rate 0% (subject) vs 16.5% median among comps with records.

Show record vs similar listings

Cohort win rate: min 0% · median 16.5% · max 57% (22 comps with USEF/SJW records).

Report date: 2026-07-04. Pricing uses BIGEQ (11) · HJx (2) listings (catalog: BIGEQ · 2026-06-25 · HJx · 2026-06-25 · ProEquest · 2026-06-25).

Automated buyer research from public records — not a pre-purchase exam, veterinary opinion, or guarantee of seller claims. Verify identity, price, and soundness with your team before you buy.