“I Miss Home”: Bruce Springsteen’s Equestrian Daughter Faced Major Hardships to Follow Her Passion Once

Jessica Springsteen, born to the famous musicians, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, has made her name in the world of equestrian sports. She has represented the United States Equestrian Team at the international level. Springsteen is a show jumping champion who clinched a silver medal in the sport of team jumping during the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021 in Tokyo.

There is no doubt about the fact that being an international level player, and that too an Olympian, requires toil, hard work, and a myriad of sacrifices. She started competing in Europe, especially at the Longines Global Champions Tour circuit at a very young age. Although she understood that Europe was the mecca of riding, staying away from home was still not an easy decision.

Jessica Springsteen once opened up about her ordeal

In an interview that was published in The Chronicle of the Horse on December 6, 2019, Springsteen revealed the hardships that she had to go through to compete and move forward in the world of Equestrian Sports. Jessica Springsteen grew up on a horse farm in Colts Neck Township, New Jersey. She started riding when she was four years old. Europe was where she created her identity as an accomplished equestrian. Being away made her homesick, but she somehow managed.

In the interview, Springsteen revealed, “Of course, I miss home, but for right now, I enjoy spending the majority of the time here…” While lodging elsewhere was a challenge, she understood that it was a necessary evil that she had to face. Competing in Europe gave her an edge. She added, “In Europe, there are endless options for competitions. Each weekend you have many national shows, two-star, three-star, four-star and five-star. The options seem endless, and it’s really helpful to pick the right competitions for each horse; it’s amazing sport here.”

Read more: “Taught Me Like a Lot of Responsibility”: Close Bond With Horses Helped Bruce Springsteen’s Equestrian Daughter Once

She competed against some of the best riders in Europe. These challenges slowly and steadily forged her into an Equestrian worthy of the name. However, even as Jessica Springsteen was striving in Europe, she never missed a chance to go back home. “But I always come for [the winter circuit in] Wellington,” she said. With time, she learned to enjoy the novelties that Europe had to offer.

How Springsteen spent her time away from home

Staying away from home was difficult, but Jessica Springsteen did relish her time in Europe. “I enjoy living here. We live close to the stable and it makes it very easy for our schedule,” she said. The exposure and experience that Europe could provide for her were invaluable. She added, “I’m lucky to compete in some incredible cities, and it’s an amazing way to travel the world. I try to make time to do some sightseeing while I’m away!” That time period was monumental in her development as an athlete.

The Global Champions Tour took Springsteen’s riding to the next level. She learned to observe even the minutest of details and learn from what the experienced riders were doing. According to her, “You also learn so much just from watching these riders, seeing how they approach the course, and what they do in the warm-up.” The Grand Prixs were equally paramount for her career. “The grand prixs are always extremely technical and difficult, so you and your horse learn a lot, and it gives you confidence at the other shows.”

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Springsteen might have faced some tough days while staying away from home. In spite of the hardships, the best decision she made was to stick to her guns and ride out the hard days to become a riding virtuoso. Her sacrifices definitely paid off, didn’t they?