Martha Jolicoeur Honors The Women Of Horse Sport At WEF
When Wellington-based equestrian real estate broker Martha W. Jolicoeur looks back on her own time in the show jumping competition ring, her favorite award to win was the Leading Lady Rider Award, in a sport that makes no distinction between male and female athletes.
Men and women compete alongside each other at exactly the same level in equestrian sport — one of the only Olympic disciplines where such a phenomenon exists.
To that end, Jolicoeur has dedicated a portion of her support of the Winter Equestrian Festival to showcase women who strive for and achieve success at one of the most competitive show circuits in the world. For the eighth consecutive season, she will present the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award each week of WEF, running through April 1 at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
“Wellington attracts some of the best riders in the world, and for me, as a rider and a sponsor of WEF, that is really exciting,” said Jolicoeur, who is a part of the elite Douglas Elliman Real Estate sports and entertainment division. “When I was competing, one of my biggest goals was to try and earn leading lady rider accolades, and I have enjoyed providing recognition to women who achieve that honor at WEF. I love meeting these athletes and helping them to feel accomplished within a pool of superb riders and horses.”
Jolicoeur will present the weekly Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award, given in memory of fellow Realtor and horsewoman Dale Lawler, to the high-score female rider based on performances in the weekly WEF Challenge Cup Series and Grand Prix events. In addition, the cumulative highest scoring female rider will be presented with the Overall WEF Leading Lady Rider Award at the completion of the festival.
In addition to presenting the rider award, Jolicoeur is the title sponsor of the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper division throughout WEF. The division consists of three jumping events each week, including the $10,000 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic held each Sunday.
“I think it is really important to draw attention to the fact that the equalizing factor in horse sport is the horse, and Wellington is a prime example of how horses bring us all together,” said Jolicoeur, who competed around the world as a show jumping competitor. “Wellington offers an equestrian lifestyle that is not found just anywhere. Everyone here speaks the same language, and that language is horse. Whether you’re a judge at the show, a groom in one of the barns or an equestrian Realtor, we all have a common bond in the athleticism, beauty and welfare of horses.”
A top Wellington broker for home and farm real estate, Jolicoeur has been a steadfast sponsor of WEF since 2010 and has been serving the surrounding communities as a dedicated broker since 2005. However, her support of the booming equestrian industry in Wellington has existed for decades.
Originally from the northeast, Jolicoeur officially relocated to Wellington in 2005, but her introduction to the winter equestrian capital of the world occurred much earlier. She began riding in Westport, Conn., and commenced her annual pilgrimages south in 1979, falling in love with Wellington as a junior rider.
Jolicoeur’s career in the saddle began with many titles on her small junior hunter, Movie Star, including winning the Best Child Rider Award at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and numerous circuit championships at WEF.
She continued climbing the ranks to train at the Grand Prix level with Canadian Olympian Ian Millar and U.S. Olympian Norman Dello Joio and, in 1985, Jolicoeur was named the American Grand Prix Association Rookie of the Year. Under the tutelage of famed horseman George Morris, she had the opportunity to travel the world, making a name for herself at competitions in England, Holland and Belgium.
Jolicoeur’s experience in the ring segued into a career in equestrian real estate when she earned her license in 1991. Serving another location steeped in equestrian tradition, she started her real estate endeavors in Middleburg, Va., before answering the call to return to Wellington full-time. Since then, she has watched the evolution of Wellington’s equestrian community transform and flourish with each passing season.
“Wellington and the Winter Equestrian Festival have equipped me with unique opportunities to help buyers and sellers find their own piece of horse heaven,” Jolicoeur said. “It is an honor to be involved with the Winter Equestrian Festival and to interact with some of the world’s top show jumping athletes, trainers and owners looking to sell a property or find a place to call their own in Wellington.”
Jolicoeur’s real estate business caters exclusively to equestrian clientele.
“I have found my calling,” she said. “I feel the same passion and joy for helping my clients buy and sell properties as I did when I was competing in the show ring.”
It is a role she is uniquely qualified to fill after decades in the industry.
“I am a horsewoman,” Jolicoeur said. “I understand what equestrian clients need and want for their horses and their families. That understanding, as well as my involvement with equestrian events like the Winter Equestrian Festival, puts me in front of a very specific audience, but it is an audience that speaks my language and looks to me to help them make Wellington home.”
To find out more about Jolicoeur and her range of property listings, visit www.marthasproperties.com. Also, find her on Facebook and Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at her available Wellington properties.
