American singer Bruce Springsteen may have ruled the rock and country music scene in the eighties but now, his daughter is ready to make a name for herself as she makes her debut in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Jessica Springsteen will be competing against international players as a member of the US Equestrian Team.
The 29-year-old will be riding a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion, Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, at the ongoing Olympic games. Jessica has joined the four-member Equestrian jumping team which includes Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut, and two-time gold medalist McLain Ward.
Jessica is ranked 27 in the world in show jumping, which is described as the equestrian version of track and field pole vaulting, high jump, and hurdles, according to US Equestrian Federation. The International Olympic Committee describes Jumping as a “spectacular mix of courage, control and technical ability” where the athlete and the horse are faced with combinations to complete a course with 12 to 15 knockable hurdles laid out in a specific order.
Daughter of Bruce and his second wife, singer-songwriter Patti Scialfa, Jessica has been riding horses since she was five at her family’s Stone Hill Farm in New Jersey, US. In an interview with People Magazine, Jessica had revealed that her mother had always wanted to ride so when her family moved to New Jersey she started taking lessons. She had also said that their home was right across the road from one of the top junior training barns, and she went right into that when she was a teenager. Jessica mentioned that her journey from an enthusiastic teenager to a professional player happened quite naturally. As she told People that she started competing and doing the jumpers and then naturally turned professional in a seamless order.
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Equestrian consisted of three disciplines, Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing. The sport involves both men and women competing on equal terms.
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