Bruce Springsteen's Daughter Is Officially an Olympic Medal Winner

Bruce Springsteen's daughter Jessica is officially an Olympic medalist. Springsteen earned a [...]

By Alyssa Fikse

Bruce Springsteen's daughter Jessica is officially an Olympic medalist. Springsteen earned a silver medal on the U.S. showjumping team in Tokyo, alongside her teammates Laura Kraut and McLain Ward after a jump-off with Sweden. Springsteen is ranked 14th in the world in her event, and she told Entertainment Tonight that she called her parents, including her famous father, following her victory.

"I FaceTimed them really quick," Springsteen said. "They were all screaming, I don't think we understood anything." The US team previously took the gold in the 2018 world championship after a jump-off with the Swedish team, but they weren't quite as lucky here. The Swedes had a time of 122.90 and no penalties, while the Americans came up slightly short with 124.20 and no penalties. Springsteen explained that despite her famous family's legacy, she still gets nervous performing. "You definitely start to get the jitters," Springsteen said. "But it was also super exciting. My horse [12-year-old stallion, Don Juan] jumped it beautifully. And we really gave it our all out there."

Springsteen was an alternate at the 2012 Olympics in London and didn't qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. "I think the chemistry between you and your horse can vary from ride to ride," she told CNN in 2019. Some horses, you get on immediately and you click right away, and others it can take a little bit longer and be a bit of a struggle. But I think you have to be patient and it has to be a mutual give and take between the horse."

Springsteen started riding at 4 years old. She won various competitions as a child, and it didn't change during her adult career. In 2014, Springsteen won the American Gold Cup and then won her first five-star Grand Prix jumping competition in 2016.

"They have been so supportive and are passionate about it too, which is a nice thing to share with them," Springsteen said to World of Showjumping in 2019, talking about her parents. "There have been so many ups and downs, and they have always pushed me whenever I have been feeling down. They always helped me get through it. I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for them."

Springsteen also talked about when she knew showjumping could be a career, which was her first year in college. "This is kind of the time - in the States at least - to make a decision whether you're going to try and do both, or stop riding and focus on school," she said. It was never a question for me to stop riding, I definitely wanted to keep doing it. But I really wanted to go to school and see if there was something else I was as passionate about."

0comments
Start the Conversation

of