Bruce Sprinsteen's daughter medals!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I've read all your posts, and I still see little more than spite for the daughter because of your contempt for the father. I think your response would be warranted if she was a spoiled, smug, do-nothing, attention-whore celebrity kid who got press for literally nothing, like Paris Hilton in the early 2000s. Maybe there is an element of snobbery in the equestrian sports...but the fact remains that you simply do not achieve Olympic level anything without hard work and dedication. As ketsuko says, it's got to be hard work in and of itself just to escape the gravity of her father's success. I say let her have her victory.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Aside from my already established layman's perspective of "That # is BORING", I'd also like to point out, even with Ket's understandable & reasonable personal liking input, that....it's not like this is a car being operated, it's a living animal getting far less credit for it's physique and skill than the rider does.

That really irks me. And rams home that it's more about the rider's pedigree/wealth prestige than anything else, otherwise no one would give much of a # about the rider and the horse would be what everyone focuses on. I get there's a good deal of cooperation between horse and rider, and cues & control are a big deal, but it does not detract from the fact that a high-end animal...is just a medal vector at the end of the day.

a reply to: Nyiah

BINGO!! I will 100% agree with that!

Absolutely beautiful and majestic creatures...and they are really the ones who are far more deserving of any medals, not the rider!

The rider is about "who" you are. The horse is about "what" you are. That's really the very essence of it.

Well said! Thank you.

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

No, I think Nyiah said it best. (see my response above). The horses should be the ones getting the credit, not their elite baggage. Yes, Sellout Springsteen does strike nerve with me, I will readily admit this. However, all the news media seemed to think her last name and lineage was important enough to single her out and slap her all over the headlines. She certainly didn't object and credit her teammates instead. This same thing would be true for all the other elites who compete in these same competitions, except for the fact they never get any mention at all in the media because their daddy ain't named Springsteen.

I'd be willing to bet that whenever this gal is subjected to any criticism at all her first response is..."Do you realize who I am????" Admittedly pure speculation on my part, but I do know a little about the sport, and the participants. I've gone to watch many of their shows while at the National Western Stock Show which we attend every year as breeders and association members.

The people in the arenas attending these events aren't wearing sweat stained cowboy hats, frayed Wrangler jeans and scuffed up cowhide boots. On the contrary, they're sporting $4,000 custom lizard skin boots, Armani suits, Gucci handbags and 1000X custom beaver hats (if a cowboy hat at all). They're the type who scrunch up their noses at guys like me who come in from the stockyards, still kickin' the cowsh## off our boots. My wife always loves to drag me in there just for the entertainment value as much as she likes the shows themselves (she's from REALLY BIG money horse country (Maryland) where the breed stock for the Preakness, Belmont and Kentucky Derby horses are). No, I was born at night, but I wasn't born last night. I see right through that crap.

Do I have an axe to grind? Yep. Against her? Yep. Against her daddy? Absolutely. Against the media? Yep. Against the elites? You bet your socks I do! Against the sport in general? Meh. Against the real competitors, the horses? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! They're the real stars of the show.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. Sorry.

ETA - Want to know the one thing I really respect about the sport? The horses get some of the finest treatment any horse will ever get. I love horses. So, I'm good with that.

Well, the Olympics has been good. Pleased it went ahead.

Good on Jessica Springsteen in getting a medal. Need to separate father and daughter from your ire, even though father's money has undoubtedly helped daughter in a sport which requires a heavy purse to participate.

At least she was not a man, unlike in the women’s weightlifting, eh?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

But without their "elite baggage", there would be nothing to give the horses credit for! Jessica Springsteen doesn't control the media, or the fact that her family connections make perfect fodder for headlines. How do you know she didn't object? Media outlets edit everything before airing and it's rather common for interviewees to object to editing choices. You're making assumptions about people you don't know and if you want to stick to that, fine. But all you're doing is broadcasting your own captious mindset and insecurity.

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

I'm done. I'm over it.

My rant is over. I said what was on my mind...which is kind of the purpose of a rant, isn't it?

Life goes on.

Thanks for your input.

Anyway...

Princess Anne (the Queen's daughter) competed at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. She did not get a medal and rode the one of the Queen’s horses called Goodwill (I think).

Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall (née Phillips) won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Her horse was High Kingdom.

I mention the above in passing. Jessica Springsteen is in good company, even though her horse's name (Don Juan van de Donkhoeve) is a bit of a mouthful!