Springsteen makes Olympic debut, falls short in qualifier

The daughter of famed rocker Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band wife, Patti Scialfa, failed to qualify for the Olympic individual jumping finals at Tokyo's Equestrian Park on Tuesday night.

News 12 Staff

Aug 3, 2021, 4:57 PM

Updated 1,005 days ago

Share:

Springsteen makes Olympic debut, falls short in qualifier
Jessica Springsteen had no luck going solo in Tokyo.
Perhaps she'll do better with a band.
The daughter of famed rocker Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band wife, Patti Scialfa, failed to qualify for the Olympic individual jumping finals at Tokyo's Equestrian Park on Tuesday night.
The 29-year-old's Olympic debut was off to a strong start on the 14-jump course before her horse got uneasy around the 11th obstacle, and the pair earned four penalty points for knocking down a rail. That put her on the bubble of the 73-horse field for one of 30 spots in the final. She was formally eliminated about an hour after riding.
She'll ride again Friday night as part of America's four-rider entry in the jumping team event.
“All in all, I'm thrilled with the round and I'm excited for the rest of the week," she said.
Springsteen learned to ride on her family's horse farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey, and she was an alternate for the London Games in 2012 but didn't participate.
She's been riding 12-year-old Don Juan van de Donkehove - he answers just fine to Don - for about two years. The duo arrived in Tokyo ranked 14th in the world.
They whirled around a jumping course with a distinctly Japanese feel - obstacles were adorned with life-sized sumo wrestlers, geisha kimonos, cherry blossoms and even a miniature recreation of a Japanese palace.
In a sport without any household names, Springsteen has generated some rare buzz from Tokyo. Nearly all the mainstream press coverage for equestrian in the U.S. during these Games has focused on Springsteen. On the ground here, about a half dozen members of the Bruce Springsteen Japan Facebook group gathered outside the locked stadium last week to offer support.
The rider herself has been buffered tightly from the attention. U.S. Equestrian denied requests for 1-on-1 interviews with her, and questions at a news conference Monday were screened by the public relations staff to block any mention of her famous family.
Reporters in the mixed zone Tuesday were warned not to ask about her family. When a journalist began to ask about Springsteen's experiences riding as a child, a U.S. Equestrian staffer grabbed her and ushered her away.
The Boss’s daughter is hardly the first famous offspring to trot an Olympic track - no surprise given the sport’s significant financial barriers.
Princess Anne represented Britain in the eventing competition at the 1976 Montreal Games. Her daughter, Zara Tindall, jumped at London in 2012. Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, has also jumped for Team USA but never at the Olympics.
This year’s field included another billionaire relative - Egypt’s Nayer Nassar is the son-in-law of Bill Gates. Nassar ran a clean qualifier to earn a spot in Wednesday's finals.
“I support many athletes in the Tokyo Olympics at the moment,” Gates wrote on Instagram. “But there is no athlete I support more than my son-in-law Nayel Nassar. Good luck Nayel.”
Britain's Ben Maher had the fastest time among qualifiers who did not commit any penalties, a sharp showing as he begins his effort to follow countryman Nick Skelton as a gold medalist. Skelton retired after winning the 2016 championship.
Steve Guerdat, the 2012 gold medalist, took on four penalties and was eliminated. Springsteen's teammates Kent Farrington and Laura Kraut also failed to make the final.
By JAKE SEINER, AP Sports Writer.


More from News 12
1:11
Injury at Morristown NJ Transit station leads to train service delays

Injury at Morristown NJ Transit station leads to train service delays

2:30
Rain throughout Sunday for New Jersey

Rain throughout Sunday for New Jersey

1:50
Curfew enforcement for kids under 17 now in effect in Newark

Curfew enforcement for kids under 17 now in effect in Newark

1:06
Overnight fire destroys home in Lakewood

Overnight fire destroys home in Lakewood

1:46
Officials: Man killed in house explosion in South River identified as retired Newark officer

Officials: Man killed in house explosion in South River identified as retired Newark officer

0:42
NJ lawmakers criticize how Rutgers officials negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters

NJ lawmakers criticize how Rutgers officials negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters

0:28
Special election to be held to fill late Rep. Donald Payne’s seat in Congress

Special election to be held to fill late Rep. Donald Payne’s seat in Congress

0:42
Jersey Proud: Army ROTC students from Rutgers, Seton Hall and Princeton train together

Jersey Proud: Army ROTC students from Rutgers, Seton Hall and Princeton train together

1:32
Knowing the early warning signs during Stroke Awareness Month

Knowing the early warning signs during Stroke Awareness Month

0:27
Prosecutor: 2 people seriously injured in 3-car crash; driver charged with drunk driving

Prosecutor: 2 people seriously injured in 3-car crash; driver charged with drunk driving

0:30
Police: New York man pointed knife at pro-Palestinian protester in Teaneck

Police: New York man pointed knife at pro-Palestinian protester in Teaneck

0:27
Officials: Paterson man threatened to ‘shoot up’ JFK Int’l Airport

Officials: Paterson man threatened to ‘shoot up’ JFK Int’l Airport

2:02
Authorities: Major fire displaces 20 people from 9 families in Elizabeth

Authorities: Major fire displaces 20 people from 9 families in Elizabeth

1:04
Hillsborough school officials vote to end middle school sports, make staff cuts amid budget cuts

Hillsborough school officials vote to end middle school sports, make staff cuts amid budget cuts

0:49
Bridgewater-Raritan School District waives fees to participate in clubs, sports

Bridgewater-Raritan School District waives fees to participate in clubs, sports

0:39
Officials: 3 pedestrians, including 2 children, struck by NYC-based news van in Elizabeth

Officials: 3 pedestrians, including 2 children, struck by NYC-based news van in Elizabeth

0:28
GoFundMe started for 6-month-old boy and his grandfather killed by fallen tree in Verona

GoFundMe started for 6-month-old boy and his grandfather killed by fallen tree in Verona

0:40
Main Street New Jersey: Restaurants, businesses to visit in Edgewater

Main Street New Jersey: Restaurants, businesses to visit in Edgewater

3:21
Bridge over section of I-95 in process of being demolished due to damage from truck fire

Bridge over section of I-95 in process of being demolished due to damage from truck fire

1:26
Look up! Annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early Sunday morning

Look up! Annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early Sunday morning