Bruce Springsteen met his future wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa at the rock venue The Stone Pony. Perhaps it was an inauspicious start for their daughter Jessica, who nearly 40 years later failed to make the finals of the equestrian individual jumping event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Jessica was selected for team USA last month, and her Olympic journey isn’t over yet– she’ll compete in team jumping this Friday, August 6th. As ESPN reports, her hopes for solo gold fell apart at the 11th jump of a 14-obstacle course, when her horse, Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, knocked down a railing. Her score was good enough to keep her on the bubble for another hour, until she was finally eliminated from the competition.
“All in all, I’m thrilled with the round, and I’m excited for the rest of the week,” the 29-year-old said afterwards. Jessica has plenty to look forward to in the team event. The US squad has medaled in six out of the last nine Olympics, and her co-riders Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut, and McLain Ward have all made it to the podium at previous Olympic games. Here’s hoping that event turns out to be more “Born to Run” and less “Chasin’ Wild Horses.”
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Meanwhile, her dad is gearing up for a big event of his own. On August 21st, he’ll be participating in New York City’s “The Homecoming Concert” alongside Paul Simon, The Killers, and Patti Smith. Tickets are free to the general public, and you can learn more through NYC.gov. Until September 4th, you can also catch him for the revival of his hit show Springsteen on Broadway. Last month, he settled a debate over whether Mary’s dress waves or sways in the classic song “Thunder Road.”