[2] Going into the 2010 Games, they had amassed multiple world-record scores in international competition, leading one American journalist to call them "rock stars in the horse world".

[4] At the time, Gal replaced his countrywoman Anky van Grunsven as the dominant rider on the world dressage circuit.

[8] In December 2009, at the fourth leg of the 2009–10 FEI World Cup Dressage series at Olympia in London, they extended their record in GP Freestyle to 92.30%, more than 10 points above the second-place finisher.

[2][7] Gal and Totilas were installed as the overwhelming favorites in the 2010 FEI World Games in Lexington, Kentucky, their first competition outside Europe.

The Dutch national dressage coach Wim Ernes died on 1 November 2016 due to a brain tumor.