Jessica Springsteen Jumps To Olympic Glory in Japan

Her old man sings about racing in the street, but she’s the one actually doing it. Well, show jumping isn’t just about racing (and its not in a street), but the point is that Jessica Springsteen and her teammates Laura Kraut and McLain Ward are now silver medalists following her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.

Springsteen, the 29-year-old daughter of Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen and 14th ranked show-jumper in the world, told CNN that she FaceTimed her famous family after the second place win. “They were all screaming, I don’t think we understood anything,” she said.

The Gold medal went to Sweden, and that’s nice and all, but does anyone on the Swedish team have parents who are both in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? We think not!

While Springsteen and her family celebrate there’s someone else who ought to feel proud: the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion Don Juan van de Donkhoeve. In a recent interview, Springsteen said that she and her steed, whom she refers to as her partner, “have a lot of trust” and took advantage of the yearlong delay in the Olympic Games for more practice.

You may also be delighted to know that another of Springsteen's show-jumping horses is named Hungry Heart.

The Asbury Park Press reported that a Japanese Bruce Springsteen fan group cheered Jessica along outside the venue.

Bruce and Patti are due back at the St. James Theatre for Springsteen on Broadway on August 17th. While the evening follows a setlist, there have been occasional changes. One hopes that a relatively recent Boss tune “Chasin’ Wild Horses” might find its way into the show.

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