AUSTRALIA'S leading equestrian Edwina Tops-Alexander began her London Olympic campaign in style on Sunday.
Tops-Alexander completed one of only three double clear rounds in the tough 1.60m World Cup Qualifier at the Zurich International Five Star Show in Switzerland.
Riding her Beijing Olympic horse, Cevo Itot du Chateau, she was third in the event, the 10th qualifying leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League 2011-2012 series.
After the jump-off, the winner was Germany's Marco Kutscher riding 13-year-old grey stallion Cornet Obolensk, in a time of 31.80 seconds, with French rider Patrice Delabeau, riding Ornella Mail HDC, second in 32.26 seconds.
Tops-Alexander's time was 32.76 seconds.
Swiss course designer, Rolf Ludi, really piled on the pressure and his course ensured that only horses of the highest calibre would earn precious qualifying points.
The 40-strong field saw six riders opting to retire in the opening round and another 16 riders incurring more than eight penalties in the first round.
Ashleigh Drossel Dan, the Australian-bred horse that took Victorian Laurie Lever to the Beijing Olympics, now ridden by Alvaro Miranda from Brazil, had two rails down for eight penalties.
For Tops-Alexander it was the second time she had finished third in Zurich on Itot.
"He is 16 years old this year and he felt just as good as he did last year," she said.
With the Indoor World Cup final drawing closer, the battle for a starting spot at April's Hertogenbosch final in Holland is intensifying, with only two qualifying rounds to go.
The top 18 riders from Europe will qualify for the final.
Swedish rider Rolf-Goran Bengtsson heads the leader board on 77 points.
Tops-Alexander has moved into equal 17th position on 30 points.
Victorian Jamie Kermond, from Woolsthorpe, has already qualified to represent Australia at the final, riding his grey mare Colthaga. Kermond is based in Florida, US, preparing for the Australian Olympic trials in June.
