Springsteen’s Daughter Realizes Her Olympic Dream

While this week’s news that Bruce Springsteen’s daughter has made the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Jumping Team came as a surprise to many fans, for Jessica Springsteen the achievement represents the end of a long journey.

The 29-year-old says she began riding horses when most girls were just starting to blossom. “I started riding when I was really little,” she says. “My mom had always wanted to ride so when we moved to New Jersey she started taking lessons. Our home is right across the road from one of the top junior training barns — and I went right into that when I was a teenager. It all really happened pretty naturally.”

Although Springsteen is considered one of the top jumpers in the country and has won numerous competitions, her previous bids to join the Olympic team fell short. Although she was selected as an alternate rider in 2012, she didn’t compete. This year’s jumping events are scheduled to occur August 2nd through August 7th in Tokyo.

Would you expect Springsteen to get preferential treatment because of whose daughter she is?