‘Rockstar’ is one way to describe Edwina Alexander on first glance. Her big designer sunglasses, handbag andhigh heels would be enough for someone to dismiss her as just another gorgeous celebrity. But once the tall, slim,elegantly dressed woman greets young riders from her former Pony Club, brandishing photos and posters signingautographs, her warm smile and chatty personality reassure she is still the girl who started her superstarequestrian career on a borrowed horse in a Northern Sydney backyard.

Edwina Alexander is testament to the lesson of passion and hard work are the recipe to dream fulfilment. At justeight years old Edwina’s love of horses and desire to have one of her own lead her to borrow her neighbour’s horseand join Avondale Pony Club in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs. It was through Pony Club, and this club in particularwhere famed Equestrian Eventing rider Shane Rose shared his early start, where her love and commitment to ridingwas nurtured, instilling the knowledge and skill to become the world’s leading female rider.

“It taught me a lot of discipline. I learnt the general basic and important things about how to look after a horse;care and maintenance, but especially responsibility at Avondale Pony Club.”

These values are among many that the 37 year old world champion and Olympian holds as the core of her training.Her early days riding for Avondale Pony Club taught her lessons she will never forget, and credits the work of thePony Club Association for developing riders into adults with the skills and courage to achieve great things.

To be the top ranked female showjumper takes commitment and the skillto maintain a busy team of world class horses. The ability to manage her team and compete at the top level takestime and focus.

“It’s really a matter of balance. The challenge with my job at the moment is trying to keep a good team together,and having a strong team that they can all work off each other and keep the good horses up there without having todo too much.”

Being the best has always been Alexander’s goal. A strong competitive side saw her decide to focus purely on showjumping, despite enjoying other disciplines during her Pony Club years at Avondale.

“I liked to do a bit of everything, I liked the sporting and dabbled in this and that before I decided showjumpingwas what I wanted to do.”

Her love of jumping and competing saw her win The Young Rider Championships at just 19 years old. From this pointher plan was set. The move into the European big leagues at just 24 taught her this was where she needed to be.

“What I love most about showjumping is the challenge. It’s thrilling and you have to prepare for it. It’s a fairsport so it’s a great to push yourself each time.”

For the past 13 years, Alexander has based herself in the Netherlands with her coach and now husband, Jan Tops.From married life, to competing 50 weekends of the year, life is constantly busy with training and business.

“Whenever I can I like to get to bed early,or if I get a rare moment of down time I like to just relax and watch a good movie”.

Success should be her middle name. From winning a million Euros at the Global Champions Tour, to finishing ninthoverall at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Hong Kong, Alexander’s desire to be world number one is now the aim of thegame.

“Its now really all about London [Olympics] and winning overall at the Global Champions Tour”.

Adding to her success in the showjumping area, her ‘Midas touch’ has seen her fame and stunning good looks help herscore the Gucci contact, an initiative of Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci, in 2009. Adding thecelebrity-esque shine to an already stellar career, Alexander’s life is far from the everyday.

But despite all of her achievements: the trophies, prize money and fashion commitments, Edwina believes you cannever forget where you came from.

“Dreams come true. We all started on the same plate. I was the same as any Pony Club rider. It’s basically a matterof motivation and perseverance and determination and hard work- the same as everything in life.”

From her Pony Club beginnings in the leafy grounds of Avondale, to the Olympic Podiums of the future, EdwinaAlexander really is what every young rider wants to be when they grow up.

The power to achieve anything begins with courage to believe in yourself and to follow your dreams. It is this thatPony Club instilled in a young Edwina Alexander.

To find a Pony Club near you visit the PC NSW statewebsite.

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