Prominent Wellington real estate broker Martha W. Jolicoeur presented Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster with the first Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) running through March 31, 2019 in Wellington, FL. Accumulating the highest number of points in the $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 1 and $75,000 Rosenbaum PLLC Grand Prix, Foster earned the Leading Lady title for WEF 1 on Sunday, January 13.
Foster earned a top-ten finish in the Equiniminty WEF Challenge Cup on Thursday before jumping into third on Grand Prix Sunday riding Donjo, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Ariel Grange. For her week one title, Foster was presented with a bottle of champagne, bouquet of flowers, and gift certificate to a shopping spree at Hunt, Ltd. from Martha Jolicoeur.
“I think it is awesome that Martha offers this great award and I think it’s also very inspiring because she’s a leading lady in her industry, and this allows us to showcase that we’re out there doing it too,” said Foster, who is no stranger to leading lady titles and won Overall Leading Lady Rider at WEF in 2016. “I really feel like all of this is such a team effort. Ariel and I have a particular soft spot for this horse. It is kind of like a girl power thing, which is why I brought her in [for the presentation] with me.”
A sponsor and dedicated supporter of horse sport at WEF for nine consecutive years, Jolicoeur herself enjoyed an international show jumping career before becoming a leading South Florida real estate broker and part of the elite Douglas Elliman Real Estate Sports and Entertainment division. Based in Wellington, Jolicoeur specializes in both residential and farm properties that fit her clients’ lifestyles.
“This award is a testament to consistent top performances, and it was always the title that I would set my sights on winning when I was competing,” said Jolicoeur, who began presenting the award in 2010 as a way of recognizing female accomplishments in a sport where men and women compete as equals. “Wellington is the winter equestrian capital of the world and attracts some of the best riders in the world. To be a part of that is an honor for me, and to experience how horses have brought us all together and made a place like Wellington possible is really special.”
Throughout WEF, the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award, given in memory of fellow realtor and horseman Dale Lawler, is presented weekly to the high-score female rider based on performances in the weekly WEF Challenge Cup Series and grand prix events. During WEF week 12, the Martha Jolicoeur Overall Leading Lady Rider Award will be presented to the female rider who accumulates the most points throughout the season.
Martha Jolicoeur Overall Leading Lady Rider Award – A History of Winners:
2018 – Margie Engle (USA)
2017 – Laura Chapot (USA)
2016 – Tiffany Foster (CAN)
2015 – Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER)
2014 – Lauren Hough (USA)
2013 – Reed Kessler (USA)
2012 – Beezie Madden (USA)
2011 – Beezie Madden (USA)
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