A flash Volvo FH weaves its way through Europe hauling some particularly special cargo – two of Aussie Olympian Edwina Tops-Alexander’s priceless horses. ROADBOSS’s Harrison Hunkin found his way on the adventure
Jan Tops, the former Olympic gold medal-winning equestrian rider, stands aloft a viewing platform, attentively watching the action before him. It seems – despite a camera clicking away over his shoulder – that he is totally unaware of our existence behind him.
The well-dressed man wriggles and writhes, anxiousness evident. His reasoning is captured live through our telescopic lens – his wife, Edwina Tops-Alexander, one of Australia’s most esteemed athletes, is jumping her way around the idyllic sand arena atop her noble steed.
Edwina, with her horse ‘Fellow Castlefield’, launches herself over the final jump measuring in around 1.6 metres high, and lands together in one piece.
A clear round, Jan lets out a sigh of relief, and the crowd politely applauds – as you’d assume, if you’d seen the immaculately presented type of people in attendance.
This certainly isn’t the Bathurst 1000. Singlets and stubbies, replaced with Gucci and Prada. This is the Longines Global Champions Tour event in Rome – the elite professional show jumping tour which sees the world’s equestrian riders compete around the globe.
This certainly isn’t the Bathurst 1000. Singlets and stubbies, replaced with Gucci and Prada. This is the Longines Global Champions Tour event in Rome – the elite professional show jumping tour.
“Not a bad backdrop,” I catch myself saying out loud when I arrive at the venue – a reasonable statement, methinks; this week’s show is held among the stunning ruins of the Circus Maximus in the centre of Rome, a fitting venue considering chariots raced here in front of emperors thousands of years ago.
It’s what the Longines Global Champions Tour does best – hosting premier events in the most stunning of venues. A previous event was set against the Eiffel Tower in Paris; the next event will find its way to Morocco.
The event is a logistical feat, a luxurious expression, an entertainment spectacle, with much of the heavy lifting done by trucks.
After all, this is a trucking publication. You can see where this is going, can’t you? Immaculate horses, driven in immaculate trucks, to immaculate parts of the world, and my journey to Rome began a week earlier.
Euro trip
Beautiful manor-style gates open automatically on my arrival at Stal Tops – the headquarters of Edwina and Jan’s equestrian empire in Valkenswaard, Netherlands. Inside, a world-class facility of stables, indoor arenas and a stadium that looks bigger than Brookvale Oval.
Failing to keep my cool, I whip out my phone to snap a few pictures for my mum, the horse-loving lady who’d kill to be in my position at this moment.
The HQ of Edwina and Jan’s equestrian empire in the Netherlands boasts a world-class facility of stables, indoor arenas and a stadium that looks bigger than Brookvale Oval. Images: Alastair Brook
I guess, much of this adventure is thanks to mum – I’ve made it across the globe watching horses due to the fact that my parents met as youths through their shared passion for horses.
This passion admittingly skipped me, infecting instead my sisters, and consequently forcing me to spend a good chunk of my life touring around the Australian countryside to horse events in the other constant of my life… trucks, and through those years touring with the family, led to friends and connections that provided us with this opportunity to meet Edwina.
But this feels different from my childhood…perhaps it’s the fact we’re on our way to Italy?
We’re greeted by Katarina, Edwina’s chief groom, and Manuel, who’s preparing the striking blue and silver 2020 Volvo FH for the road to Rome.
For Edwina’s team, the role of transporting the horses now lands in the job description of her grooms, Manuel and Katarina. Keeping in mind that they are hauling priceless horses that are essentially elite athletes, the role of getting them from A to B isn’t as simple as it seems. They require time, the right program, and careful transportation. Instead of temperature checks of the wheel bearings, team Stal Tops must check horse temperatures.
“It’s a crazy amount of logistics,” Edwina reminds me.
You can see where this is going, can’t you? Immaculate horses, driven
in immaculate trucks, to immaculate parts of the world.
This week, Manuel has the honour of driving and will be joined by Thio, a retired former truck driver.
For the longer trips like from home base in Valkenswaard to Rome, the grooms have a second professional driver with them – an opportunity Thio relishes.
“My wife pushes me out the door when I’m asked to help out,” the 72-year-old says with a big smile. His Dutch accent is thick, but his English is great.
Manuel, some 40 years younger, hails from Spain and has spent almost his entire life and career riding, working and tending to horses. He’s recently arrived at Stal Tops after working for another prominent European equestrian rider and is keen to impress his new employer.
It’s an easy enough drive, according to Manuel, but he admits he hasn’t done this route before – Thio assures it will be fun.
If all goes swimmingly, the Volvo and our limited-edition Ford Focus will hit the autobahn in Germany, criss-cross through a few countries, weave through the Dolomites and find ourselves in Rome for a pasta dinner in approximately 30 hours. ROADBOSS photographer Alastair Brook looks chuffed.
Transporting the horses from HQ to Rome is the job of Edwina’s grooms Manuel and Katarina and their striking blue and silver 2020 Volvo FH. Images: Alastair Brook
And with no time to lose, the Stal Tops Volvo FH loaded with its precious cargo – ‘Caetlin vd Heffinck Z’ and ‘Fellow Castlefield’ (Edwina’s two horses for the weekend) – rolls out through those manor-style gates. Rome its destination.
Sleeping rough
Manuel and Thio, who by this stage had told me a fantastic story about the time he worked for Heineken transporting beer across Europe, decided the 10-hour stint to Munich would be their first stop.
So far so good – the run into Munich went according to plan, and the horses were due for a few hours’ sleep. Off again come nightfall, team Stal Tops would then make for the Italian border, and a simple run into Rome from there.
Simple, it was not. What proceeded was the mightiest of detours, two shut borders and a mountainside nap in the tiny Ford, and the Italian cops pulling me over.
Confusion erupted early at our first border crossing attempt. No explanation was given; however, a mass of police officers and a closed autobahn suggested something serious.
Following the hundreds of other inconvenienced motorists, we followed the funnel of traffic directed back in the direction we came from. Quick thinking from Manuel and Thio had us crossing over into Austria near Salzburg and heading for the Austrian/Italian border that hugs Slovenia.
With early morning light peeking through, we catch our first glimpses of the postcard backdrop we’ve been driving through all night. The snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites glimmer, making the long detour all worth it.
Now hours behind schedule, the Volvo was keen to push on and limit our stops as we wound our way through the snow-capped Alps. Car after car roar past us, leaving us in their rearview mirror – the difference in speed between our convoy and motorists is apparent.
By law, Manuel and Thio are required to switch driving responsibilities every four hours, which was timed perfectly for a coffee stop an hour from the Italian border. As we huddle around the truck, service station coffee in our hands, the clock on the fuel bowser reads 2:00am. My eyes begin to droop, horses begin to whinny.
Under the illuminating lights of the truck stop, I stop and admire the Stal Tops rig. Built by Roelofsen, one of Europe’s premier horse truck manufacturers, the FH is one of two transporters that Edwina owns.
For those wondering, these are horse hotels on wheels. This particular model is a five-berth, meaning you can squeeze an additional three horses into the rear if needed, and comes fitted with sleeping quarters, a kitchen and shower amenities. Once in Rome, Manuel will stay with the truck the entire week, becoming a home away from home.
I’m told that once in Rome, amongst the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest cities in the world, an entire street is shut off and temporarily fenced for the 50-plus horse transporters that’ll be in the eternal city.
Back on the road and now caffeinated, we push for the Italian border. Slowly but surely, the once quiet motorway begins to shift, and congestion creeps in until all lanes come to a complete stop. It seems we’re not the only ones left wondering; hundreds of trucks now line the off-ramp and slip lanes, their drivers walking the road.
The Volvo FH hits the autobahn in Germany before criss-crossing a few countries, up through the Dolomites and onto Rome in around 30 hours. Images: Alastair Brook
The Italian border is a mere 200-metre walk, the ‘Welcome to Italy’ sign can be seen, yet Italy isn’t welcoming anyone. A conversation between Thio and some other confused truck drivers provides the answer to the traffic jam – and without stereotyping, it’s very Italian.
“This section of the motorway that crosses between Austria and Italy has been closed for line painting,” Thio says with a disbelieving laugh. “It’s supposed to reopen at 5:00am,” he adds.
What are the odds? And with no linesman to be seen working, I question if the 5:00am reopening is paying good odds.
Like the countless others stuck, we take their lead and pull over as far as we can on the outsides of the gridlocked lanes and park up. Eyes well and truly weary, in a Ford Focus packed full of camera bags, Alastair and I share a few well-earned hours sleeping roadside on a major European highway.
A loud honk from the truck behind wakes me from the deepest of sleeps – dazed and slightly confused, I launch the Ford into gear and follow the traffic in front of me. The traffic is finally moving, the highway reopened, and the clock on the car reading … 6:15am. The Italians must have slept in.
With early morning light peeking through, we catch our first glimpses of the postcard backdrop we’ve been driving through all night. The snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites glimmer, making the long detour all worth it.
Built by Roelofsen, one of Europe’s premier horse truck manufacturers, the FH is one of two transporters that Edwina owns.
Other than the Italian authorities pulling Alastair and I over and taking our details in an exchange of confused ‘key phrases’, the next eight-hour push to Rome is quite uneventful – but I didn’t make my pasta dinner.
Five-time Olympian
Self-belief, confidence, whatever you want to call it, is a prerequisite for elite athletes, and Edwina has it. She knows she’s good at what she does but is acutely aware that it’s never come easy for her.
We’re ringside, chatting casually – the stunning ruins of the Circus Maximus gesturing in our eyeline.
The five-time Olympian shares her story – how a young lady from Sydney found her way to Europe, progressed to become a five-time Olympian representing Australia, and a winner of the Longines Global Champions Tour.
She began riding as a child, her neighbour’s pony the inspiration, and initially learnt through trial and error – and helped by a healthy competitive streak.
“I loved animals, and I just thought it was a different way of connecting with them – that’s what interests me a lot,” she says.
An unexpected road closure forced the Stal Tops Volvo to cross over into Austria near Salzburg and head for the Austrian/Italian border that hugs Slovenia. Images: Alastair Brook
“My neighbours had a pony that would come into our place, and I used to get on it, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing,” she adds, laughing.
Edwina admits her competitive streak and determination started early and are probably key reasons as to why she’s still riding today.
“A lot of people gave it away. Some didn’t have the finances; some lost the drive. I just never did.
“I remember one time, as a kid at a Pony Club jamboree, where all the pony clubs come together, at the end of the weekend they announced the champion. Now I’d been tallying all the points in my head all weekend, and I was announced a vice champion. I was shocked!
“So, what did I do? I asked them for a countback. Turns out I was correct, and I was the champion, but it was evident at even a young age I was super competitive,” she admits with a smirk.
Then, at 24, facing uncertainty about her future, she made the defining decision of her career: to take a single horse to Europe and give herself six months to prove she belonged. The move exposed gaps in her riding, horsemanship and business knowledge, forcing her to start again from the basics.
If all goes swimmingly, the Volvo…will hit the autobahn in Germany, criss-cross through a few countries, weave through the Dolomites and find ourselves in Rome for a pasta dinner in around 30 hours.
“At 24, I thought: ‘I’ll give myself six months. If I’m not good enough, I’ll do something else’,” she tells me honestly.
“When I arrived in Europe, I realised I wasn’t good enough and that I had a lot more to learn than I thought.
“I had to bring myself right back to basics — not just riding, but managing, learning how the whole system works.
“I was buying and selling horses just to survive. That’s how I learned the business, but as I mentioned before, I was always very confident in myself. I never really doubted that I could do it, even when I was falling off all the time.”
The move was an obvious success; she’s now been in Europe for longer than she was in Australia. She was the first woman to earn one million euros, and she’s hoping for a sixth Olympic appearance in LA 2028.
The event was held among the stunning ruins of the Circus Maximus, a fitting venue considering chariots raced here in front of emperors thousands of years ago. Images: Alastair Brook
But despite fame, superstar friends like Jess Springsteen (daughter of Bruce), fashion label deals with Gucci and Loro Piana, and the obvious wealth around her, there’s still plenty of that laidback, knockabout Aussie in her.
“Unfortunately, I no longer have my European truck licence,” she admits with a smile.
My face showed obvious surprise – I was unaware of her driving days. Australia’s leading show jumper … a truckie? Why couldn’t she be? My impressions of her now sky high, she fires again.
“Didn’t you know I used to drive the truck everywhere?” she says with a grin. “When I first came here, I drove all over Europe with the horse truck – I loved it. My first truck was an IVECO.
“I still have my Aussie truck licence as well.”
Didn’t you know I used to drive the truck everywhere? When I first came here, I drove all over Europe with the horse truck – I loved it. My first truck was an IVECO.
