| Nicknames |
Eddie (horseandhound.co.uk, 11 Mar 2016) |
| Injuries |
He was forced to withdraw from the 2016 World Cup event in Den Bosch, Netherlands, after injuring his wrist and his back in a fall during training. (horseandhound.co.uk, 11 Mar 2016) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs |
He wears an orange watch, orange boxer shorts, an orange belt, and a gold guardian angel pin in the dressage arena. (thehorseridersjournal.com, 06 Sep 2016) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"I identify myself with the horse. I improvise and adapt to the horse. The horse is not capable of changing itself to suit me, but I can align myself to it. I try to do what's best for the horse. I never attempt to change a horse's character." (thehorseridersjournal.com, 06 Sep 2016) |
| Awards and honours |
He was named the 2010 Athlete of the Year by the International Equestrian Federation [FEI]. (eurodressage.com, 11 Jun 2010)
He was named the 2010 Sportsman of the Year in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. (gelderlander.nl, 07 Dec 2010)
In 2009 and 2010 he was named Dutch Horse Rider of the Year. (dehoefslag.nl, 22 Feb 2011; horses.nl, 08 Feb 2010) |
| Famous relatives |
His partner Hans Peter Minderhoud has represented the Netherlands in dressage and won a silver medal in the team event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Oct 2019; Hans Peter Minderhoud Facebook profile, 25 Jul 2018; fei.org, 06 Jul 2018; trouw.nl, 21 Jul 2012) |
| Other information |
TAKING A BREAK
He decided to take a break from competition in April 2022, finally returning in May 2024. “I've been riding in competitions for so many years and I've enjoyed it. But, after the Olympics, I felt like I wanted to take a break. I love riding at home in the GHPC, training our stallions, and I'd like to continue doing that this year in peace. After that, I'll be back in sport again with all my energy. Thank you all for your understanding and I'm looking forward to many wonderful moments to come.” (Facebook team page, 23 Apr 2022)
STABLES
He and his business partner Nicole Werner established Dressuurstal Werner/Gal in the Netherlands in 1996. He trains horses and coaches riders, while she manages the stables, plans clinics and competitions, and coaches in the afternoons. In 2012 the pair, along with Gal's life partner Hans Peter Minderhoud, began competing and training dressage horses for the Glock Horse Performance Centre in Treffen, Austria. (ghpc.nl, 16 Mar 2020; edwardgal.nl, 24 Mar 2014)
IMPORTANT HORSE
He is known for his partnership with the horse Totilas, with the pair winning three gold medals together at the 2010 World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Lexington, KY, United States of America, as well as titles at the European championships and World Cup Finals. Gal never got the chance to compete at the Olympic Games with Totilas as the horse was sold to new owners following the 2010 WEG. "He had such a special way of moving. I knew immediately that it was special. But that it would be so special, I did not expect that. I knew [a sale] could happen. I couldn't decide, it's someone else's money. It had already been discussed with the owners. And there is always a demand for special horses. There are always people who are willing to pay for it. When it comes to that much money, you can't expect someone to keep it. No matter how difficult that is. You have to accept that." (SportsDeskOnline, 27 Apr 2021; nos.nl, 13 Feb 2021; eurodressage.com, 13 Jan 2021, 19 Oct 2019; teamnl.org, 13 Jan 2021; fei.org, 07 Jan 2021; omroepgelderland.nl, 15 Dec 2020)
TOTILAS LIVES ON
His main sponsor, Austrian entrepreneur Gaston Glock, bought six horses that were sired by Totilas. One of them, Total US, was his ride at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "It was the first really big test for him in an arena like this. You can feel so much comparison with Totilas. You get the same feeling, [although] Totilas was a little bit more confident at his age." (horseandhound.co.uk, 28 Jul 2021, 24 Jul 2021; nos.nl, 13 Feb 2021; eurodressage.com, 06 Mar 2020) |
| General highlights |
In 2010, he and Totilas won three gold medals at the World Equestrian Games and the FEI Dressage World Cup Final.
He won team bronze at London 2012. He was also selected for the 2016 Olympics, and was the reserve in 2024. |
| Milestones |
He and his horse Totilas became the first partnership to claim three gold medals at a single edition of the world championships by achieving a sweep at the 2010 World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Lexington, KY, United States of America. (SportsDeskOnline, 15 Jan 2023; fei.org, 02 Oct 2010) |
FEI Database
GHPC 
GlockHorsePerformanceCenter 
Edward_Gal 
instagram.com/edwardgalofficial 
