Jessica Springsteen Wins Juniors Equestrian Event in Wellington

By Sharon Robb | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jessica Springsteen, daughter of rocker Bruce Springsteen, and her mount Papillon 136 won the George H. Morris Excellent in Equitation late Friday at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Competing in front of the entire 2008 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, including McLain Ward and Laura Kraut of Wellington, who together judged the event, Springsteen, 17, won with the same gelding that piloted her to the ASPCA Maclay Championship.

Springsteen, one of the nation’s top junior riders who splits her time between Wellington and Colt’s Neck, N.J, led the first two rounds and won the Final Four ride-off with a faultless performance.

“You aim for this class for the whole of WEF,” said Springsteen, whose father and mother watched among the crowd of more than 1,000.

Victoria Birdsall of Topsfield, Mass and Cheyenne were second and Taylor Marie-Harris of Grant’s Pass, Ore., and Sundance were third.

Schaefer Raposa of Wellington was fourth with Radscha A.W. A field of 34 riders competed in the judged event.

In Saturday’s 1.40-meter first round jump-off class, Olympian Leslie Howard and Lennox Lewis 2 had the fastest jump-off in 34.634 seconds.

First Round Time Jump-Off

Horses, riders, faults, jump-off time

1. Lennox Lewis 2, Leslie Howard, 0, 34.634

2. Carlos Boy, Ken Berkley, 0, 34.787

3. Prima, Beezie Madden, 0, 36.878

4. Green Sleeps, Ali Nilforushan, 0, 37.860

5. Wembley, Mark Samuel, 0, 38.350

6. Artifice L.S., Jorse Verswyvel, 0, 42.035

7. Murka’s Nevada, Peter Charles, 0, 43.165

8. Anthem, Laura Kraut, 4, 33.507

9. Maarten, Norman Dello Joio, 4, 33.970

10. YB Blue, Nick Novak, 4, 35.650

Equestrian

What: FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, Week 10

When: Today-March 29, 8 a.m.

Today’s featured events: Parade of Champions, 12:30 p.m.; Bank of America $75,000 Grand Prix, 1 p.m.

Where: Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, 14440 Pierson Road, Wellington

Admission: Free.

Polo

What: USPA Piaget Gold Cup Tournament

Today’s games: Audi vs. Pony Express, noon; Zacara vs. Orchard Hill, 3 p.m.

Where: International Polo Club Palm Beach, 3667 120th Ave. South, Wellington

Admission: $10 and up. Call 561-204-5687.

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