Lauren Balcomb Wins Martha W. Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award

Wellington, Florida – Australia’s Lauren Balcomb claimed the Martha W. Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award on Saturday, January 15, during week one of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL.
Balcomb accumulated the highest number of points among all female athletes competing in the $37,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round 1 on Thursday, January 13, and the $140,000 Southern Arches Grand Prix CSI3* held on Saturday night, January 15.  Balcomb piloted her own Verdini d’Houtveld Z, an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Verdi TN x Caretino 2), to third place during Thursday’s competition before finishing 11th on Saturday night.
“I feel so fortunate to be riding here and to have won this award,” said Balcomb, 32, of competing at WEF and winning the Leading Lady title.  “I’m lucky because I have an amazing little horse.  I bought him as a six-year-old to be a three-day event horse, which is what I used to do.  He started jumping too well and I was ready for a change, so here we are now!
“This is my first night class here,” continued Balcomb, who is a new mother.  “I had my baby nine months ago and took the reins back on my horse.  My partner, Sharn Wordley, rode him for a little bit while I was pregnant, and I feel so fortunate to be back here.”
In recognition of winning the Leading Lady Rider Award, Jolicoeur, accompanied by her husband, Dr. Stephen Norton, and her daughter, Isabel Jolicoeur, presented Balcomb with a bottle of champagne, a bouquet of flowers, and a gift certificate for a shopping spree at Hunt, Ltd.
A long-time sponsor and dedicated supporter of horse sport at WEF for many years, 2022 marks Jolicoeur’s 12th season presenting the Leading Lady Rider Award.  A former competitor herself, Jolicoeur enjoyed a successful international show jumping career before becoming Florida’s number one Douglas Elliman real estate broker.
Throughout WEF, the Martha W. Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award, given in memory of fellow realtor and horseman Dale Lawler, is presented each week to the female athlete who earns the most points in the weekly WEF Challenge Cup Series and grand prix events.  During the final week of WEF, the Martha W. Jolicoeur Overall Leading Lady Rider Award will be presented to the female rider who accumulates the most points throughout the 13-week circuit.
Based in Wellington, FL, Jolicoeur has been serving the equestrian community full-time 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 and beyond.  To learn more about Martha W. Jolicoeur, visit www.marthasproperties.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram for an insider’s look at her listings.

Press contact Jennifer Ward – Jump Media | Photo by Sportfot (Lauren Balcomb is presented as the Martha W. Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider on Saturday night, January 15, during week one of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. From left to right: Martha Jolicoeur, Lauren Balcomb, Isabel Jolicoeur, and Dr. Stephen Norton).