The first time Moorlands Totilas made an appearance before the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games spectators, officials had to call in extra bodies to make sure the enthusiasm didn't get out of hand.

And when the striking black stallion performed the subtlest of transitions during his dressage tests, audible gasps could be heard from the stands as near-perfect scores flashed on the board.

It has been a runaway race for the most popular athlete thus far at the 2010 Games.

Because, as is often the case when Moorlands Totilas enters a competition, his superiority is extensive.

The World Equestrian Games are designed to showcase the very best sport horses and, for those fortunate enough to have witnessed the dressage competition thus far, they have seen arguably the most dominant athlete in any equestrian discipline today.

With his unmatched grace and supple ability, Moorlands Totilas — better known around the barn as Toto — and his rider Edward Gal have not only given the Netherlands two gold medals to date in these Games, but have elevated the sport of dressage to unprecedented levels.

Last season, the pair broke their own world record for highest dressage score in history with an unprecedented 92.3 at Olympia in London. During their gold-medal winning effort in the grand prix special individual competition Wednesday, the pair earned so many "10s" from the judges, Nadia Comaneci herself would have been slightly envious.

On Friday evening, the pair — which also led the Netherlands to a team grand prix gold on Tuesday — takes the ring for their specialty: the grand prix freestyle.

The freestyle was the first event to sell out at the World Equestrian Games — a feat due in no small part to the fact this is the first, and probably only, time fans outside of Europe are getting a chance to see dressage's resident rock star in the flesh.

"I don't think there is any question world wide (Totilas) has created an excitement, almost a hysteria based on his ability and performances," said Marty Bauman, chief press officer for the WEG. "The first event in this stadium that sold out was dressage freestyle and I think the chance to see Totilas do his thing was certainly the main reason.

"The first day he was there, we had more than 500 people crowded around that warm-up arena. We actually had to bring in some added crowd control."

Dressage is all about making the extremely complicated look completely effortless, and few in the history of the sport have done that better than Totilas.

With Gal often looking like a statue in the saddle, the Warmblood moves like a spring-loaded masterpiece in the ring, maintaining impeccable balance and extension while executing transitions that are borderline seamless.

"It is so difficult to explain the feeling. You have to ride him to feel it, and I won't allow that," said Gal, who also dismissed rumors the stallion was possibly being sold to American interests. "He gives me so much energy and power yet you still have the feeling you can control it. He doesn't want to make any mistakes, even sometimes when I screw up. He's such an amazing horse."

What makes Totilas even more a freak is the fact he is just 10 years old, a virtual baby in the world of dressage where it often takes several years of diligent training to even compete at the top level.

His beyond-his-years ability often puts him several points ahead of his nearest competition, and the fact the stallion is still honing his already impeccable craft has the competition all but conceding the top spot to him for the immediate future.

"It doesn't make a difference if (the Netherlands) have three or four riders, when Totilas is competing they win," said German rider Matthias Alexander Rath following the team competition.