The American team, including Jessica Springsteen, finished behind Sweden in the jumping team final.
Equestrian Jessica Springsteen, daughter of singers Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, earned her first Olympic medal in the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. team of Springsteen, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward took home silver in the jumping team final.
After the event, Springsteen immediately called her parents to celebrate. The conversation, while joyous, wasn't exactly enlightening.
"I FaceTimed them really quick," said Springsteen, who's ranked 14th in the world. "They were all screaming, I don't think we understood anything."
The U.S. had a shot at gold in a jump-off with Sweden, the exact situation it faced en route to its 2018 world championship. This time, however, the Swedes came out on top with a time of 122.90 and no penalties as opposed to the Americans' 124.20 and no penalties.
Springsteen isn't the only American equestrian with a fascinating background. Her teammate Laura Kraut, who won gold in the team jumping event in the 2008 Beijing Games, became the U.S.'s oldest Olympic medalist at age 55.
Even though Springsteen's dad once performed for 300,000 people, she wasn't free of nerves during Saturday's final. She persevered through the nerves and earned her country a medal anyway.
"You definitely start to get the jitters," Springsteen said. "But it was also super exciting. My horse jumped it beautifully. And we really gave it our all out there."
This story was originally published by CBS Sports on Aug. 7, 2021.
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