Alexandra Thornton claimed the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award

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British show jumping athlete Alexandra Thornton claimed the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award on Sunday, March 1, to close out week eight of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL.

Riding her top mount, Charielle, a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare (Chacco-Blue x Argentinus) owned by Dunwalke Ltd., Thornton kicked off her week with a top-12 finish in the $37,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 on Thursday, February 27. The pair then jumped onto the podium with a third-place performance in Sunday’s $214,000 Premier Equestrian CSIO4* Grand Prix.

“I think it’s really great that Martha offers this award for us,” said Thornton, 27. “Female riders are often the minority in some of these grand prix classes, but there were three in the jump-off today who all rode fantastically. To win this award against them was really exciting.”

Thornton is making her return to WEF after nearly five years away from Wellington, explaining, “I’ve been based in Europe since 2012 and WEF is a completely different experience than it was when I was here last. I’ve already extended my trip!”

In recognition of her Leading Lady title, Jolicoeur presented Thornton with a bottle of champagne, a bouquet of flowers, and a gift certificate for a shopping spree at Hunt, Ltd.