Can Totilas Compete with Valegro?

After Totilas returned to competition with Matthias Rath, there is much speculation on whether or not the black stallion will meet his match with champion Valegro.

I’m sure everyone has their own opinions on the sale of Totilas that took him from four-year rider Edward Gal to current rider Matthias Rath in 2010. Rath and Totilas did not see the immense success that Gal did, but one must take into account the amount of time Gal put into the horse prior to the sale.

Last month, Totilas returned to competition in stylish form, winning the Kapellen CDI3* Grand Prix in Belgium with a score of 78.86%. Naturally, the discussion immediately turned to whether or not Totilas and Valegro would square off and, more importantly, who would come out on top when they did.

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro at the 2012 Olympics. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

We’re all familiar with the story of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, who have smashed world record after world record, some of which were set by themselves, in a star studded career that doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. We are also aware of the smashing success that Edward Gal and Totilas enjoyed together, where they enjoyed their fair share of record performances and sell out crowds.

These videos show recent tests put in by both horses and riders: Totilas performing in Belgium and Valegro winning the Grand Prix in Lyon in April.

What do you think, HN? Do you think Totilas will rise to his former glory, or do you think Valegro has an iron grip on the top of the dressage world?