Congratulations are in order for the Springsteen family after equestrian Jessica Springsteen earned her first medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Springsteen, who is the daughter of rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, competed this year along with teammate Laura Kraut and McLain Ward who took home silver in the jumping team final.
The 29-year-old equestrian rider rode a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood Stallion named Don Juan van de Donkhoeve. After the competition, Springsteen called her parents to celebrate the news, in which she said they were ecstatic. She stated, "I FaceTimed them really quick. They were all screaming, I don't think we understood anything." With her win, Springsteen is now ranked 14th in the world.
The competition was said to be stiff when it came to first place, having Sweden and Team USA tied after all 3 Rounds. Both of the teams were perfect in the final round, but Sweden was faster and earned a gold medal. Springsteen teammate, Kraut, is famous for her participation in the Olympics after winning gold in the team jumping event in the 2008 Beijing games. She became the US' oldest Olympic medalist at the age of 55.
She was Born in the USA ?? and Born to Run (well, ride)
It was Glory Days for Jessica Springsteen, daughter of Bruce, as she helped Team USA to a silver medal in the showjumping with her Human Touch.
They'll be dancing on the Streets of Philadelphia tonight ??? pic.twitter.com/zUkgf6885u
— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 7, 2021
Editors Note: This article was originally published on July 7, 2021. It was updated to announce Jessica Springsteen's win at the Tokyo Olympics. Below is information that was published before the new updated information was included.
Jessica Springsteen, daughter of the rock star legend Bruce Springsteen, has officially qualified for the Tokyo Olympics as a US Equestrian jumping team member. Springsteen, who's also the daughter of singer-songwriter Patti Scialfa, will join gold medalists McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, and first-time gold medalist Laura Kraut.
Writing on Instagram, the youngest Springsteen stated she had been dreaming of this moment for years. She noted, "Endless gratitude for my team, friends and family for helping me make this a reality. We are Tokyo bound!!"
Springsteen is ranked 27th in the world by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, also known as FEI, and will be riding a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood Stallion, named Don Juan van de Donkhoeve. Shouting him out on social media for his hard work, she stated, "there's no horse in the world I'd rather be on this journey with, thank you Don. You're my horse of a lifetime."
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She earned her Team USA spot at the Olympics in a competition in June in France. The 29-year-old has been jumping for years now and was an alternate rider of the United States at the 2020 games, and had previously represented the United States at FEI Nations Cups.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRAM4zoLff_/
Although this will be Springsteen's debut with the Olympic Equestrian team, her other teammates have experience at an international level and at the Olympics. Ward is currently ranked 9th in the world and has won gold at the 2014 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics. Kraut is currently ranked 28th and won a gold medal in Beijing, and Farrington is top-ranked American at number 5 in the world and is making his second Olympic appearance.
The team is currently led by Chief D'equipe Robert Ridland and Lizzy Chesson. Jumping events are officially scheduled for August 2nd to the 7th in Tokyo.
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