The final contingent for the U.S. Olympic equestrian team, the jumping squad, was announced on Monday and includes three of the discipline’s most recognizable names and one very recognizable last name in Jessica Springsteen.
Springsteen, who will compete aboard Don Juan van de Donkhoeve in Tokyo, is the daughter of legendary musician Bruce Springsteen.
Jessica, 29, began riding at 4 years old on the family’s Colts Neck, New Jersey, farm.
She was listed as an alternate on the FEI nominated entries for the 2012 Olympics (last on a list of 17 U.S. rider/horse combinations), and failed to make the short list in 2016.
Now ranked No. 3 in the U.S. rider list, Springsteen will be making her Olympic debut alongside veterans Kent Farrington (with Gazelle), Laura Kraut (with Baloutinue) and McLain Ward (with Contagious), who have already competed at a combined seven Olympic Games.
The U.S. has medaled in team jumping at six of the last nine Olympics, including silver in Rio.
Farrington, 46, made his Olympic debut five years ago, placing fifth in the individual contest. Forty-six-year-old Ward, ninth as an individual in Rio, was also on Olympic champion teams in 2004 and 2008. Kraut, the elder statesperson at 55, first competed at the Games in 2000 and this year makes her return after last being seen on the Olympic stage in 2008.
Kraut and Ward were on the gold-medal-winning team at the most recent world championships in 2018.
It is anticipated that three rider/horse combinations will compete in the individual event and three in the team event in Tokyo, though US Equestrian noted “there is a chance all (four) combinations will get to compete.”
Beezie Madden, a four-time Olympic medalist, withdrew from consideration for her fifth Olympic team over the weekend after horse Garant ended the first round of the Rotterdam (Netherlands) Nations Cup with five faults.
“We all believe strongly in Garant’s future as a championship horse, but know it’s not the right time for him yet,” Madden and team said in a post on social media. “We hated to let our country and teammates down today, but the only thing more important than the team is the horse.”
Farrington is currently No. 5 in the latest world rankings, followed by Ward at No. 9, Springsteen at 27 and Kraut at 28.
The U.S. teams for eventing and dressage were already named and include decorated athletes such as Phillip Dutton, the oldest U.S. Olympian since 2008 at 57, and two-time medalist Steffen Peters. The 10 athletes across three disciplines have a combined 20 previous Olympic appearances under their belts.
Correction: A previous version of this article referred to Springsteen as a 2012 Olympic team alternate; she was an alternate on the longer list of FEI nominated entries.
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