Here is an article speaking about rope horses that can be applied to barrel horses or any other discipline. 

What makes one horse sell for $xxxx and another that seems to be the same for half isn't always easy for people to understand.  I think part of what makes people pay more is the number of cheap horses it takes to find one that makes it. If your odds of finding more good/great horses are increased by being more selective about breeding you might be willing to do that. If you are a pro or middle aged and you don't have the time or energy to randomly select from 100 horses to find one, you're going to pay more to get a better success rate. If you're a pro and your livelihood depends on a good or great horse, you have to pay more to get something that is in limited supply.  Economics applies to horses just like everything else. The law of supply and demande.  Same with barrel horses. You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. 

https://teamropingjournal.com/news/bull-market-rise-rope-horse-prices-29086?fbclid=IwAR2VjYO-CwB9zoIs1jxDUUv_fqPVSnKTlBCJsYvyAlC8dL60VoB2XDoFxBs

Bump