Totilas

The KWPN stallion Totilas was born on May 23rd, 2000 in Broeksterwoud in the Netherlands. For the breeders Jan K. Schuil and Anna Visser, the mating of the Trakehner sire Gribaldi with the Glendale daughter Lominka was a hit. The black stallion would later become a rock star in dressage. - Already at the beginning of his career a talent for movement in the dressage arena - In the early years Totilas, who quickly became known by the nickname Toto, was trained by dressage rider Jiska van den Akker. At the World Championships for five-year-old dressage horses in Verden in 2005, Totilas finished fourth in the final round. Even then he was traded as the best Dutch young horse. - Edward Gal and Totilas, a success story - Owned by Moorlands Stables, Totilas, then known by the sport name Moorland's Totilas, joined Dutch dressage rider Edward Gal in 2006. This was the beginning of an extraordinary career in dressage. Gal prepared Totilas, who has strong movements, for international appearances in the large dressage arena. The couple celebrated their first major success together in 2009 at the Dutch Championships. Totilas and Gal left the Dutch dressage queen Anky van Grunsven behind. Shortly afterwards, the couple was also successful at the CHIO in Rotterdam, where they won the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle. - First international successes by Team Gal / Totilas - With the first strong performances and successes, Edward Gal and Totilas quickly recommended themselves for a nomination in the Dutch dressage team that went to the 2009 European Championships. The pair competed at the European Championships and the exceptional stallion Totilas immediately set two new world records. The pair won team gold in the Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 90.750% and silver in the Grand Prix Special. The couple achieved 84.085% in the Grand Prix de Dressage. - New record: Totilas beats himself - In 2009, Gal and Totilas broke their own world record in the Grand Prix Freestyle when they won the World Cup Freestyle at London's Olympia Hall with a score of 92.300%. In addition, at the end of March 2010 they won the World Cup finals for dressage riders. Gal and Totilas also defended the Dutch championship title in the summer of 2010. Also in 2010, a third world record was set at the CHIO Aachen. In the Grand Prix Special of the CDIO 5*, the couple won with 86.458%, whereby the judges awarded the highest mark ten five times for the individual value marks. The World Equestrian Games in Lexington Kentucky in 2010 were the last highlight for the dressage dream couple Gal and Totilas. She won triple gold and won the World Championship title with the team, as well as individually in the Grand Prix Spécial and in the Grand Prix Freestyle. - Totilas for Sale - Moorlands Stables, owned by Cees Visser, announced the sale of Totilas on 4th October 2010. The new owner of the wonder stallion was Paul Schockemöhle, who officially confirmed the purchase on October 26, 2010. The purchase price was estimated in the media to be between 10 and 15 million euros, making it one of the most expensive dressage horses of all time. Paul Schockemöhle and Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff formed an owner association for the stallion. The stallion was to be marketed both as a dressage star and as a breeding stallion. - Matthias- Alexander Rath becomes new rider of Totilas - There was much speculation about who would become Edward Gal's successor. Many greats of the German dressage sport were in public discussion as new riders. The owners Paul Schockemöhle and Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff caused a surprise when they announced Edward Gal's successor. Matthias-Alexander Rath, the stepson of Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff, who was last successful with Linsehoff's former horse Sterntaler, became the new rider of the "dressage rock star" Totilas. - Successful start of Team Rath / Totilas - In a new combination, Matthias-Alexander Rath and Totilas celebrated their first victories at the German Championships 2011 in the Grand Prix Special and in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Totilas won all three individual tests on the CDIO 5* tour at the CHIO Aachen. This was followed by a nomination for the German European Championship team in 2011, with which the couple won the team silver medal. Totilas and Rath did not win individual medals at the 2011 European Championships. At the CDI 4* Horses & Dreams in Hagen a.T.W. Victory in the Grand Prix de Dressage secured (83.809%) - Break for Rath and Totilas - After the European Championships, Totilas took a break from the tournament. There were only two appearances at stallion shows. The couple had their first tournament appearance of 2012 at the CDI 4* Horses & Dreams in Hagen a.T.W., where they secured victory in the Grand Prix de Dressage with 83.809%. Matthias-Alexander Rath then fell ill with glandular fever and was initially out of action. A start at the CHIO Achen and at the 2012 Olympic Games was out of the question. - Bad luck with injuries at Totilas - In 2013 Totilas' mandatory break was extended. The stallion injured himself when he jumped in the stud shop. For tournament starts, Totilas was out for another 12 months. - Totilas Comeback - On May 22nd, 2014, Rath and Totilas made their public appearance for the first time after a four-year break and started without much prior notice at the CDI 3* in Kapellen, Belgium. The couple won both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix de Dressage. Victorious starts in Wiesbaden followed. - Bad luck with injuries again for Totilas - Rath and Totilas suffered another setback shortly before the start of the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Totilas kicked a ganglion leg at training camp. For the well-being and to protect the stallion, a start at the WEG was avoided. - Comeback to the European Championships in Aachen - Despite a one-year break due to injury, Rath and Totilas were nominated for the German dressage team at the European Championships 2015 in Aachen. The couple started in the Grand Prix, the evaluation test for the team medals. Her performance was "only" rated with 75.971%, despite a successful performance with a small mistake at the beginning of the canter change from jump to jump. Totilas and Rath ended up winning the bronze medal in this competition with the German dressage team. The stallion was withdrawn for further starts at the European Championships. - Totila's farewell from the sport - Immediately after the start at the European Championships, the stallion was examined in the clinic and bone edema was found. On August 18, 2015, the owners confirmed the end of Totilas' sporting career in an official statement. The black stallion, to whom dressage sport owes a lot, will continue to be used as a breeding stallion for breeding purposes. In January 2016 Totilas stud fee was reduced from €8000 to €2500. In addition to serving at stud, the stallion was allowed to enjoy the remainder of his life, first at the Schockemöhle station in Mühlen and then at the Rath-Linsenhoff family sheep farm with daily paddock work. There he was regularly ridden easily by Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff. On December 14, 2020, Totilas died at the age of 20 as a result of colic. The stallion suffered from the colic on Monday, had an operation and got up again after the operation went well. But unfortunately he couldn't be helped in the end.