Edward Gal and Totilas Were On Top Of The World
In 2010 Totilas and Edward Gal were on top of the world!
In December 2009, at the fourth leg of the 2009-10 FEI Dressage World Cup™ series at Olympia, they extended their world record in GP Freestyle to 92.300%, more than 10 points above the second-place finisher. Their domination knew no bounds. In 2010 they won the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch by seven points.
Anyone who watched could not forget the bounce of the half passes, the extended walk and canter. Afterwards, Gal hailed Totilas’ performance but was already making plans for that year’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky.
They became the first partnership to win three world titles at a single Dressage championship when helping win Team gold and then dominating both the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle in Kentucky.
The pair faced a tough test in securing Team gold after the elimination of Adelinde Cornelissen and gelding Jerich Parzival, but a score just short of their world record was enough. At just 10 years old, one might have expected Totilas to dominate with Gal for years to come. However, in October of 2010 it was announced that German breeder Paul Schockemöhle had purchased Totilas for an undisclosed sale price estimated by some reports to be around €10m.
The Dressage world was shocked. Gal was “absolutely devastated,” and it was reported at the time that he would consider switching nationality to Germany simply to continue with his partner.