Top effort: Edwina Alexander on Cevo Itot du Chateau during the Zurich World Cup qualifier Story & Photo: Jenny Shepphard - weeklytimesnow.com.au

It's been a great two weeks for Australia's top showjumper, Edwina Alexander.

At the weekend, Alexander was named top female rider of the International Five Star show in Bordeaux, France.

The previous weekend, she was third in the $250,000 World Cup qualifier at the Zurich International Five star show in Switzerland, where she also rode to third place in the 1.50m class, riding Cevo Socrates.

In Bordeaux, Alexander claimed the title of leading female rider after winning the 1.50m Accumulator and finishing 10th in the Table C riding Mel D'Argences, her fourth in the 1.50m jump-off class riding Kisby and another fourth in Sunday's $500,000 1.60m Grand Prix riding Cevo Itot du Chateau.

The Grand Prix in Bordeaux was won by Brazil's Alvaro de Miranda, riding AD Ashleigh Drossel Dan, the big grey horse which was bred in Australia and jumped for Australia at the Beijing Olympics, when ridden by Laurie Lever, from Somerville.

At the Zurich five-star, Alexander rode Cevo Itot du Chateau in an exciting seven-way jump-off against the clock in front off 11,500 spectators.

She was pipped by eventual winner, Germany's Marcus Ehning riding Noltes Kuchengirl.

British rider Ben Maher riding Robin Hood W was runner-up.

The Australian duo was more than two seconds off Ehning's time, stopping the clock at 42.41sec.

Alexander said Itot du Chateau "wanted to win" and described the class as a "super competition".

She said she planned to compete in the rest of the World Cup qualifiers and admitted she had "a bit to do" to get there as she was carrying only 26 points with just four qualifying rounds left .

Normally, riders need about 40 points to ensure they book their place.