One early summer’s day in Holland, in June 2009, a young black stallion and his rider powered into the arena for their first-ever Grand Prix dressage test. The competition was the Dutch National Championships and the other competitors were among the world’s best. But, as the newcomers worked through their test, the judges sat up in amazement. Had they seen movement like that, on any horse, ever before, anywhere?
The rider was Edward Gal, the stallion was the nine-year-old Moorland’s Totilas, and the pair turned on a performance like no other, beating the once unbeatable Anky van Grunsven, claiming the national championship and rocking Dutch dressage to its socks. It was the first clue that Holland – and the entire equestrian world – had a sensational new superstar.
From that June day onwards, Edward and ‘Toto’ just kept getting better. One month later, they burst on to the international scene at Hickstead in the UK. This was the second Grand Prix of Toto’s life, and he wowed everyone with a world-record-breaking performance, scoring the highest marks ever awarded in GP freestyle: 89.40%. The record had previously been held by Anky and Salinero.
Another month on, and another record crashed beneath Toto’s hooves. This time he was at Windsor in the UK, where he scored an unheard-of 90.75%. Breaking the 90% mark in dressage was a bit like breaking the sound-barrier had once been: almost unthinkable. But, four months later that record tumbled too, when Toto notched up an even higher score: 92.3%, at Olympia in London.
Now the entire equestrian world was watching. And, of course, the pair went on winning. In Aachen, in 2010, they broke yet another record: the Grand Prix Special, with a score of 86.45. To make matters even more amazing, judges awarded Toto and Edward a staggering total of 28 perfect ‘10’s in that test!
Edward Gal and Moorland’s Totilas were beaten only twice in their international career (a second place in 2009 and another in 2010), but other than that, they reigned supreme until parting company just after the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Totilas was sold to Germany’s Paul Schockemöhle and Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff, with Ann-Kathrin’s stepson Matthias Rath given the ride.
The sale price was rumoured to have been as high as €15 million, and although Edward said publicly that he understood the decision of Toto’s owners, the Visser family, to sell, privately he was devastated.
Unfortunately, the new partnership failed to gel, and the horse was plagued with injuries and controversy. There were allegations of abuse, and in his last shows, Totilas looked unsound. He was retired from competition in 2015, though continues to stand at stud.
Totilas is widely accepted as the best dressage horse in history. He’s broken records, then broken his own records and set new ones. He won every title he could possibly win, in the space of a mere two years. He’s been visited by rock stars, received letters from royalty and has attracted more fans than international dressage stadiums can hold. He was the first horse to win all three available gold dressage medals at a World Equestrian Games (team, special and freestyle).
FAST FACTS
Pet name: Toto
Breed: KWPN Dutch warmblood
Famous for: Record-breaking dressage
Vital Statistics: 17.1hh/175cm black stallion
Greatest Achievement: Breaking three world records; being the first horse to score more than 90% in GP dressage; winning all three dressage gold medals at WEG.
