Jessica Springsteen was named the Overall Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider of the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) that concluded on Sunday, March 15, in Wellington, FL.
The Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award, given in memory of fellow realtor and horsewoman Dale Lawler, was presented weekly during WEF to the high-score female rider based on performances in that week’s WEF Challenge Cup and featured grand prix events. Consistent throughout 10 weeks of competition, Springsteen claimed the weekly Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady title during week four and, riding Volage du Val Henry, won the $137,000 CSI3* Grand Prix during week six.
Jessica Springsteen on Volage du Val Henry. Photo by Jump Media.
“I’m honored to receive the Overall Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider award this year,” said Springsteen, 28, of Colts Neck, NJ. “My horses jumped so well all season, and I couldn’t be happier with them. It’s a great way to end the circuit!
“This sport is so unique in that we compete with women and men in the same competitions,” continued Springsteen. “I think it’s really special in that way, and it’s always so nice that there is an opportunity to win the Leading Lady award every week.”
In recognition of her achievement, Springsteen will receive with a custom-built jump of her choice from Jolicoeur.
“The Leading Lady Award was always the one that I aimed to win when I was competing because it is a testament to consistent top performances,” said Jolicoeur, who began presenting the award in 2010 as a way of recognizing female accomplishments in one of the few Olympic sports where men and women compete as equals. “To experience how horses have brought us all together is something special for me. It was an honor to watch Jessica and all of this year’s weekly winners find so much success this season.”
Martha Jolicoeur (left) and Dr. Stephen Norton present Jessica Springsteen with the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award during week four of the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Springsteen went on to top the standings for the Overall Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider title. Photo by Jump Media.
While Springsteen scored the week four title on her way to winning the Overall Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Award, other weekly winners this year included U.S. riders Lillie Keenan, Beezie Madden, Adrienne Sternlicht, and Kirsten VanderVeen; Great Britain’s Amanda Derbyshire and Alexandra Thornton; and Canada’s Vanessa Mannix.
A dedicated sponsor and supporter of horse sport at WEF for many years, 2020 marks Jolicoeur’s 10th season presenting the weekly Leading Lady Rider Award. A former grand prix competitor herself, Jolicoeur enjoyed a successful international show jumping career before becoming Florida’s number one Douglas Elliman real estate broker for 2018.
Photo by Jump Media.
Martha Jolicoeur Overall Leading Lady Rider Award – A History of Winners:
2019 – Amanda Derbyshire (GBR)
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)
Based in Wellington full-time, Jolicoeur has been serving the Wellington equestrian community since 2005 and specializes in both residential and farm properties. As part of the elite Douglas Elliman Real Estate Sports and Entertainment division, she offers a wide range of property listings that fit the equestrian lifestyle. To learn more about Jolicoeur and her listings, click here. For behind-the-scenes tours of available Wellington properties, follow her on Facebook and Instagram.