Disclaimer: I am a huge, huge Bruce Springsteen fan. Have been since the mid 70s.
I am also a fan of his incredibly talented and hard working daughter.
Will there ever be a headline about Jessica that doesn’t include some reference to her famous father? Or is that just a silly pipe dream?
Jump off head to head with O. Philippaerts:
Dad not mentioned until 3rd paragraph:
Dad not mentioned at all:
https://www.worldofshowjumping.com/LGCT-events/Risks-pay-off-for-Jessica-Springsteen-in-the-LGCT-Grand-Prix-of-London.html
The headline. The headline of the article I posted contains two references: .“Born to Win” re: “Born to Run” and “rocks”
ETA: Here’s the link to the article. My bad for not including on the original post.
The video that popped up in my feed earlier today did not mention her horse’s name, let slone Bruce.
Those side by side views are always so interesting. Thanks for posting it!!
I love those. It’s riveting because there isn’t one right way to win; just depends on the horse and the course. Jessica’s horse can really eat up the ground. Had a lot more pace that Oliver’s despite him riding a tight track.
I see now. I thought it was odd that you included a reference to Dad while being a bit bothered by other people’s references to it.
I think all in all, the Equestrian press has been pretty low key about naming Dad. We all know who he is and know that he doesn’t ride the Grand Prix or Olympic horses.
The general public is more interested in the wealth or fame of our youngish riders parents or grandparents, so usually the relatives are mentioned in the non-horsey press.
I’ve always been sort of amazed at how people don’t seem to bother him at horse shows. When I’ve seen him, anyway. And I’ve never seen anything that looks like security anywhere near him.
The Queen used to attend Royal Windsor Horse Show with no hassle at all. She generally wore a headscarf tied under her chin, a very old-fashioned look that identified her. Her security was invisible.
At least when she was a kid, he was just another pony dad at the horse shows. Jeans, muddy boots, just Jessie’s dad. No pretense. Standing in line for hotdogs at lunch with the rest of us. If you didn’t hear the announcer say her last name (or if their last name was less recognizable) and realize that guy was her dad, it would have been easy to not notice him.
A couple of years ago I saw Bruce walking around Old Salem, and it definitely took me a minute to put two and two together.
I see the Rock at local shows sometimes now, I assume he has a kid who rides. Everyone politely ignores him, and he is VERY tall and recognizable.
I think @skydy has already explained the phenomenon.
Horse people aren’t terribly celebrity conscious and are pretty hard to impress. I can totally see someone walking by Bruce or Patty at a horse show and thinking “Oh, yeah. Their kid rides. She actually rides pretty good.” So the equine press emphasizes Jessie and deemphasizes her famous father.
The mainstream press uses her famous Dad as a hook to get people to read a story about showjumping.
Really? For sure, it would be hard for him to blend in anywhere.
I’ve definitely seen Bruce looking like he could be there to empty the trash cans after the class, so it’s probably easier for him to stay in the background.
I remember the first time I ever saw him at a show when his daughter was still showing ponies, he was walking towards me with a Jack Russell on a leash. I was so busy watching the dog misbehave I almost did not recognize the person attached to it. Lol.
Back in the day it was Paul and Joanne at WEF, and nobody was confused about who he was, but everyone managed to be respectful and polite! (Lol deliberately avoided their last names so the young ones will be confused)
I remember hearing a funny story about a time when Paul walked into Cobblestones in Wellington, and a friend of a friend almost spit out her food because she was so shocked at the sight of him right there in front of her. Lol.
Wow she really just out turned him to win. What a great horse.
I had an entire conversation with Michelle Pfeiffer about her dogs at Thermal one year without having any idea who I was talking to. Several days later someone made a comment about her and her dogs and I put two and two together.
I imagine it must be refreshing for the celebs to be treated like normal people and have normal conversations while out in public.
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