Bruce Springsteen's Daughter Jessica Has Grown Up To Be Gorgeous

Few people are more famous and well respected than iconic American musician Bruce Springsteen, also known as The Boss. The Jersey-born legend, who married E-Street Band member Patti Sciafla in the early 1990s, has been a voice of America for decades — and his career is still going strong. You'd hardly believe how old he and his wife are looking at this Instagram post!

While Springsteen and Sciafla have been rocking and rolling over the years, their daughter, Jessica, has been growing into a beautiful young woman. She's been making headlines for quite some time now, mostly due to her seriously amazing equestrian skills. 

So what was life like growing up as the daughter of rock and roll royalty? How did her childhood affect her adult interests and talents? And what is Jessica planning for her future? Here's everything we know about Jessica Springsteen, who's clearly grown up to be gorgeous.

Growing up in 'horses' heaven'

Jessica Springsteen's formative years were spent on Stone Hill Farm, her family's 300-acre estate that she refers to as "horses' heaven." But horses aren't the only animal that you'll find on the family farm, according to CNN. "We have some goats, some chickens, and we used to have pigs," she shared in an interview. And that's not all! "There used to be two ostriches as well, but they were a little bit violent, so we had to give them away." Violent ostriches? Really?

Fortunately, other farm residents sound like they were a bit more laid-back. "When we were little, we used to play with the goats all the time. We each had our own little goat and we'd go and run around with them," she continued. Who doesn't want to play with baby goats? Springsteen also added that back in the day, they had a lot more animals around than they do as of late. That sounds like a wonderfully idyllic childhood.

Born to ride

Jessica Springsteen may have enjoyed chasing goats around as a kid, but it was another animal that truly captured her heart: horses. That she might have inherited, in part, from her mother. "My mum had always wanted to ride so we moved to a farm in New Jersey," she revealed in an interview with CNN. "She started taking lessons and then I also wanted to start." After that, she never wanted to miss a lesson — she was hooked.

It also helped that the farm was super close to Beacon Hill Show Stables, a training center that Springsteen calls "one of the best for junior riders in the country," according to CNN. That meant she was getting top-notch equestrian training right out of the gate. After that, her next steps organically fell into place. "I kind of naturally began competing, and I never stopped," she told HorsalotSounds like the equestrian life was simply her destiny.

Her childhood heroes

There was no shortage of world-class horseback riders for Bruce Springsteen's daughter to observe and emulate while she was growing up. To this day she recalls how they had a real impact on her. "Growing up watching, you know, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden, McLain Ward — you know, it seemed so far away, like what they were doing," Jessica Springsteen recalled in an interview with Horsealot. "So it's cool now to be competing in the same classes as them since I grew up watching them." That has to be both exciting and surreal at the same time.

Now that Springsteen is in the big leagues herself, she's surrounded by major talent at every competition she attends. "At these shows there are so many incredible riders," she continued, several of whom she's trained with. But Springsteen has nothing but the utmost respect for the riders she competes with, which shows that she displays an impressive level of sportsmanship. 

Cool enough for school

Some people have difficulty balancing school and being a professional athlete, both of which take up a lot of time! Fortunately for Jessica Springsteen, though, she was able not only to graduate from high school, but also earn her college degree. In fact, she turned pro while pursuing her studies, which couldn't have been easy. "Becoming a professional was a big step, while also trying to balance college," she noted in an interview with CBS. "I was also happy I was able to do both." Impressive, to say the least!

Although Springsteen went to Duke University, that wasn't the only school she considered. For example, she thought about going to Brown University, an Ivy League school with an equestrian team, according to Team USA. But Bruce Springsteen's daughter chose Duke in the end, and finished her studies in 2014. Of course, The Boss himself was in the audience on commencement day to see her walk across the stage, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Gorgeous enough for Gucci

Jessica Springsteen's impressive riding skills, along with her model good looks, helped her land a pretty sweet deal: In 2014, she was named one of Gucci's riding advisors. That brought with it the honor of having a collection designed and dedicated to her by Frida Giannini, formerly Gucci's creative director. Of Springsteen, Giannini said, "Jessica brings the elegant, dynamic spirit of Gucci alive, and I have ensured that the design of this new wardrobe provides her with pieces that manage to be both technically correct and stylish," according to Vogue magazine. Talk about a serious compliment!

Springsteen felt the love, and gave it right back to the fashion house, too. "Riding in the collection that Frida has created for me is an honor and great fun — it combines the best of sport and style," she revealed to Vogue. Gucci isn't the only designer who took notice of Springsteen either. In fact, she's been repping Polo Ralph Lauren since 2016, too, according to Vogue. Sounds like Springsteen is in high demand!

She dated athlete Nic Roldan for a while

Jessica Springsteen dated the handsome and athletic Nic Roldan for several years. From the looks of it — and from the adorable photos on her Instagram — the pair were, for some time, a perfect match. That's partly because they're both serious athletes in the world of equestrian sports. "He plays polo so I think it's great, because from the outside, it's hard to understand how much work goes into it," she mused in an interview with Hola! TV. "And so it's nice to have someone that does the same thing, and we can really understand each other."

The couple also supported one another when they competed, as he watched her jump, and she watched his polo matches — when they were on the same continent. Traveling for sports can make relationships challenging! Unfortunately, the two broke up at some point, but Springsteen soon found love again!

Bruce Springsteen's daughter opened up about Olympic aspirations

She's got the talent, she's got the work ethic, and she's got the determination — so it makes sense that Jessica Springsteen would aim to ride in the biggest competition of them all: the Olympics. "I would love to go the Olympics some day," she told Team USA in a since-removed interview. That doesn't mean she thought qualifying would be easy, though. "I'm ready to take as much time as it needs," she continued. "I know it's going to be a lot of work, putting a lot of time into it, but I'm not trying to rush anything."

Springsteen tried to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but an injury to her horse threw a wrench into that plan, according to NBC Sports. And at the time, it was just too soon for her to speculate about what the 2020 games might bring. "It's so hard in this sport because everything goes into timing," she told the network. "You have to have the right horse at the right time, and you have to be performing really well." 

Jessica Springsteen has learned how to best take care of herself

Riding horses involves a lot more than just sitting while your ride trots from point A to point B. It's an Olympic sport, after all, and it takes training and discipline to truly become a master of the sport, as Jessica Springsteen is. "When it's done well at the top level, it looks so easy and effortless," she revealed to ESPN. "But it's not. There is so much physicality to it." 

So Springsteen devised a specific training regimen to keep her in tip-top shape that includes cardio, Pilates, core training, weight-lifting, and stretching. "Since there aren't really any trainers with equestrian experience, I devised it myself," she continued. And she made it as "horse-specific as possible." Sounds intense! Springsteen is also keenly aware of what she puts into her body. "I make sure I eat healthy," she added. Plus, she drinks plenty of water — even if she has to force herself to do it, sometimes!

A ride 'for our lives'

Jessica Springsteen spends a lot of time on the road for competitions in a variety of different locations, including Europe. When she's stateside, though, her home base is in Wellington, Florida — just a few miles north of Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018.

The equestrian community of Wellington didn't sit idly by when the tragedy occurred, according to the Sun Sentinel. "We encourage the equestrian community to take a stand to show that we need to do something about gun violence in schools in the United States," said Olympian Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, a fellow regular in Wellington. "We ride together today as a testament that it's time to take action." 

Springsteen was one of the high-profile riders to join Michaels-Beerbaum in the Ride For Our Lives, inspired by the March For Our Lives against gun violence in Washington, D.C. The event took place during the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Other notable participants included Eve Jobs and Jennifer Gates, according to Town & Country magazine.

Using her celeb power for good

Even though Jessica Springsteen is famous on her own accord for her riding, being from a famous family meant she was always getting attention. When she would compete, there were always people who were scouring the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of mom and dad, too — but that doesn't faze her anymore. "Everyone is so used to it now because I've been doing this sport for so long," she shared with Team USA

Fortunately, Bruce Springsteen's daughter has a healthy perspective on the whole thing. "You just want to make sure you look out for who you are as an individual instead of who your parents are," she continued. Girl has her head on straight!

Former trainer Laura Kraut also observed Springsteen in action with fans. "When she was younger, she was a little shielded from it. Now that she's getting older, people are wanting to cling to her and have something to do with her," she revealed to CNN. "She handles it all so gracefully whenever I'm with her and she's mobbed by people."

'I want to start being more independent'

Jessica Springsteen sure has a lot going on with the 2020 Olympics on the horizon, but she has other goals for her future as well. In an interview with the Wellington Equestrian Classified, she talked about the role that her parents have played in her training. "I'm incredibly lucky to have had them supporting my career for so many years," she said. "They love coming to watch me ride and it has become just as big a passion for them as it is for me, but I want to start being more independent." Look out, world!

And while Europe has helped shape the rider she's become, Springsteen is charting her future course in a different direction. "I really want to start refocusing on being able to ride for my country again and having more of an American presence," she continued. "It's helpful, to that end, to be showing in the States a little bit more."

Carving out a space for herself in Europe

In 2018, Jessica Springsteen relocated to Brussels, Belgium after summer stints all over Europe. As the Robb Report noted, Brussels proved to be an ideal home-base for the horse-riding star since Springsteen speaks conversational French and can also live just a few minutes from the stables, making competing in local events super easy. Most days begin around 9 a.m.; at the time, Springsteen shared that she rides Monday through Wednesday in preparation for competitions that run Thursday through Sunday. 

Speaking to The Chronicle of the Horse, Springsteen enthused, "I enjoy living here. ... I'm lucky to compete in some incredible cities, and it's an amazing way to travel the world. I try to make time to do some sightseeing while I'm away!" However, she can head home whenever the committed athlete feels like it, with Springsteen opining to the Robb Report, "As you get older, you realize. You assume everyone has that support, and you see how lucky you are to really have [it]." 

Jessica Springsteen found love in the equine world

Unsurprisingly, given how dedicated she is to her career, Jessica Springsteen found love with a fellow horse enthusiast. As Page Six confirmed, she was linked to Nic Roldan for several years starting around 2015. However, by 2019, it was clearly all over between them as Springsteen confirmed she was seeing Italian show-jumper Lorenzo de Luca. An insider noted, "Nic is a hot-shot polo player. He is very cute and sexy. But Lorenzo is honestly so funny, and she has become a much warmer, open and less reserved person since they started dating."

The happy couple lives together in Brussels, with the Robb Report advising they compete in many of the same events both there and throughout Europe. In winter, however, the busy duo huddles up in another horse hotspot: Wellington, Florida, which Springsteen quipped is typically "the one time of the year when you're in one place for longer than two weeks." 

Bruce Springsteen's daughter has been fighting for animal rights

Bruce Springsteen's daughter, Jessica, clearly has a passion for horses both in a professional and personal sense. She's an animal lover all round, in fact, with Parade advising Springsteen is a proud Equine Welfare Ambassador with the ASPCA. As the championship rider explained, she joined forces with the charity after crossing paths at a competition, admitting, "They opened my eyes to not only horse cruelty but animal cruelty that goes on in the U.S. There was just so much that I didn't know about." Springsteen also gushed, "It's been amazing to work with them and raise awareness." 

The equestrian expanded on her desire to help at-risk horses in an interview with Upscale Living magazine, acknowledging that the animals take a real beating while in competition. "Animals do so much for us, in my sport, especially. Horses are really giving their all and putting their heart into it, and there is mutual trust," she shared, arguing that they deserve to be treated with respect and it's our role, as humans, to be a voice for those in need. 

Jessica Springsteen is shooting for Olympic gold

In July 2021, news dropped that Jessica Springsteen's lifelong dream of competing at the Olympics had finally come true. NPR confirmed that the talented equestrian. who is ranked 27th in the world overall, would join three other athletes — McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, and Kent Farrington — as part of the Team USA showjumping squad descending upon Japan. Springsteen took to Instagram to share a shot of her mid-ride, enthusing, "Been dreaming of this since I can remember! Endless gratitude for my team, friends and family for helping me make this a reality. We are Tokyo bound!!"

Her mother, Patti Scialfa, also shared the big news on social media, writing, "U.S. equestrian team for Tokyo Olympics ... my sweet girl — happy for you," in her own Instagram post. Springsteen's old stables, Beacon Hill, expressed their congratulations for the former student on Instagram, too. It may have been a long time coming, but Bruce Springsteen's daughter has more than earned her spot on the biggest athletic stage in the world.