Springsteen’s daughter Jessica named on USA’s Olympic equestrian team
JESSICA Springsteen, the daughter of United States rock star Bruce Springsteen, will take part in the Olympic Games for the first time as a show jumper.
The 29-year-old Springsteen will ride horse Don Juan van de Donkhoeve at Tokyo 2020 as one of four riders selected to the U.S. team alongside Olympic medallists Kent Farrington (riding Gazelle), Laura Kraut (riding Baloutinue) and McLain Ward (riding Contagious).
This will be the first Olympics for 29-year-old Springsteen, who was an alternate for the London 2012 Games.
Springsteen, the daughter of world-famous rocker Bruce whose hits include Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark and Thunder Road, learned to ride as a four-year-old on the family’s farm in New Jersey. She has since gone on to become one of the best riders in her country, winning the 2014 American Gold Cup and the 2017 Falcon Stakes CSI 5 at the Royal Windsor Horse Show riding Davendy S.
The other members of the U.S. team bring with them a wealth of Olympic experience, with 45-year-old McLain Ward winning Team Jumping gold at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, in addition to silver at Rio 2016, 40-year-old Kent Farrington winning Team
Jumping silver at Rio 2016 and 55-year-old Laura Kraut a Team Jumping gold medallist at Beijing 2008.
Springsteen will be hoping to build upon the success of her more experienced team members when she participates in her debut Games. The U.S. team has won Team Jumping medals at six of the last nine Olympic Games.
Talking to CNN in 2017, Springsteen explained that it was her mother who originally encouraged her to take up horse riding: “She started taking lessons and then I also wanted to start. I never wanted to miss a lesson and I ended up being right across the street from a really top junior training barn called Beacon Hill,” she recalled.
Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland expressed his great belief in the riders who will represent the USA at Tokyo 2020, saying: I feel very confident that the seasoned group of riders that we will be sending to Tokyo is in top current form and peaking at just the right time,” before adding, “We’re looking forward to the next few weeks ahead and are aiming to deliver a strong performance for Team USA in Tokyo.”
The Tokyo 2020 Team Jumping qualifying and final take place on 6 August and 7 August 2021.