Australia’s 2008 Olympic representative Edwina Alexander understandably loves what she does. For years she has traveled the world, riding exquisite horses and competing against the best that her sport has to offer.

She lives on over ten hectares of equine paradise in southern Holland’s Valkenswaard near the Belgian border with her Dutch husband, renowned horse trader Jan Tops. As a result, Alexander finds herself at the epicenter of global equestrian, Europe.

“I really liked the sport a lot and I just kind of thought I should go to Europe and see if I could be good enough because if I was no good I'd rather put my effort into doing something else. I don't like half doing things," Alexander told Equestrian Australia.

It might sound glamorous, but it is tiring and hectic. Alexander explained to Bruce Eva on the World Championship Sports Show “it’s very exhausting, I am away from home for 45 weekends of the year. Sometimes within 2 weeks I am in six different countries. I am also trying to take care of a business that trains horses and sells to clients. To do another ten years of this will be tough.”

It was at the Paris Olympics in 1900 that Show Jumping first became an official component of the Games, and in Stockholm in 1912 that other disciplines such as dressage were added. There is no denying that competitive horse riding and jumping is not only cloaked in rich traditions, but rich European traditions.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics the Individual Event competition was world-class and fierce. The venue was set as Hong Kong’s Beas River and Shatin due to Horse Flu concerns in the months leading up to the event.

Many casual observers may not be aware that in Olympic competition Equestrian is the only sport where men and women compete against each other. In 2008, Alexander was the only female Australian competitor selected for the Jumping event, and she finished better than all of her Aussie male counterparts coming in ninth place overall.

“I’d like to get to number one in the world rankings” she explains. “But right now there are only three women in the top ten so it will take a lot of hard work.”

In fact 2008 was a career year for Alexander with strong wins in the CSI 5-star GP in Brussels, Belgium, the CSI-W Olympia London, England and in the CSI 5-star GP in Zurich, Switzerland, a win that saw her drive away with a brand new Mercedes convertible, with all the trimmings.

So far in 2009, the Australian has improved her world ranking to number four among jumpers, notched an impressive second place in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Aachen in Germany on Itot du Chateau, as well as winning the Netherlands’ leg held at her home town venue in Valkenswaard, upon the same horse.

The respect that she bestows upon the animals that she rides appears to be reciprocated. The horses weigh 10 times that of the 1.64m Alexander. Nevertheless, the control and mastership that she brings to the competitive arena rivals Australia’s all time greats. A feat that could not be accomplished without the beasts themselves somehow appreciating who is on their back.

“I ride between five to eight horses every day. Some horses I ride two times a day depending on their program,” she explains. “I always had a passion for horses and I love animals very much”, she continued. “I chose jumping because I found it a fair sport and very challenging.”

Alexander certainly has faced her share of physical setbacks. At the 2005 Arezzo Grand Prix in Italy, Alexander was pinned under her horse for more than two minutes when it slipped on a concrete surface after being startled by members of the crowd. She went on to win the event with a broken ankle that saw half her leg caked in plaster the very next day.

She is always quick to thank her parents and her husband for helping to give her the opportunities that she has enjoyed, and for supporting her dreams without question.

“You really have to believe in yourself and your horse and try to stay calm and relaxed during competition. Show Jumpers need to be patient and brave," she explains. "They need a very good eye to see the distance to a fence - you need quick reflexes and good instincts to change things quickly and to 'go' with the horse. You must be competitive and you need to concentrate.”

In 2005 Alexander was officially named Australia’s Rider of the Year and in 2006 she became the first Australian to make it through to the final of the individual show jumping competition at the World Equestrian Games, where she ended up finishing fourth.

It should not be lost on Australians that over in Europe, in Equestrian circles, Edwina Alexander is a highly respected, driven, accomplished and genuine sporting superstar.

Australia has never won an Olympic medal in jumping or dressage, a fact that Alexander hopes to change in London in 2012.

You can listen to Edwina Alexander chatting with Bruce Eva on the World Championship Sports Show by clicking here.

For other WCSN "Athlete in Focus" articles, simply click here.