Welcome to Cosmo Sports, our new series where we get unprecedented, all-day access to some of the most influential names in collegiate and professional athletics. We capture a full day in their lives to give you a deeper sense of who they are, not just what they do.
Jessica Springsteen remembers the fear. It was a few months ago during a night competition and she was in the ring with her horse, Don, ready to hurdle over obstacles at top speed. Despite her years competing in equestrian—and having an Olympic silver medal to her name—those jitters steadily crept in and she needed to take a second. “I was so nervous that I stopped him to calm myself,” she reflects. “I took a deep breath...and he immediately copied me and took a huge deep breath too.”
It was no shock that beneath her, Don responded in perfect sync, exhaling with her as if to say, “We’ve got this.” “They’re feeling what you are,” says Jessica as she sits in a brightly lit living room (it’s the apartment of her boyfriend, a fellow equestrian). “Those moments just remind me how connected we really are.”
A bond like this doesn’t happen by chance. “It can take years to build,” she says, “and it is actually the most important thing. It’s kind of hard to see when you’re watching.” For Jessica, who’s been an equestrian since she was 5 years old, this isn’t just a sport—it’s a language of intuition, presence, and connection that’s helped her evolve into the woman and competitor we see today. It’s taken her from being a shy kid on a New Jersey farm who was too afraid to verbally declare “I want to go to the Olympics” to actually going to the 2020 Tokyo Games and winning silver in team jumping.
Since becoming an Olympic medalist (and trending globally in the aftermath because yes, Jessica is the daughter of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa), the equestrian has continued to build momentum in the sport. In 2023, she secured wins at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup of USA and the Winter Equestrian Festival, and in 2022 and 2023, she took first place at the ultra-elite Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of London.
Just days before we meet on Zoom in August, Jessica was in Valkenswaard, Netherlands, competing at the 2025 Longines Tops International Arena Summer Classic where she ultimately won gold. Most recently, the fierce show jumping competitor was invited to join Longines Global Champions Tour this September in New York City, a competition reserved only for the top-ranked equestrian jumping teams in the world. And in between all this competing and training, she works with Gallop NYC, a therapeutic riding nonprofit that she calls “incredibly healing.”
But her eyes aren’t only on the podium. Instead, she’s looking inward. “What I’m working on right now is being a little bit more present and enjoying the process more,” she says. “I have definitely had moments where I’m really focused on the end result and I’m not enjoying the journey. I think especially as you get older, you can start to put more pressure on yourself.”
She’s in a chaotic world full of intense travel schedules, big personalities (yes, of both humans and horses), and the humbling truth that no matter how good you are, anything can happen in the ring. But still, she thrives. Because when Jessica Springsteen takes a deep breath before a competition, her horse takes one too. That’s not just training—it’s trust.
What drew you to horses and show jumping in the first place? Was there a single moment that made you say, “This is it for me”?
It started because my mom had always wanted to ride. When she was younger, she was horse crazy, but she never had the chance to do it. We moved to a farm in New Jersey and she started taking lessons. When I saw her do it, I wanted to as well, and then it just escalated. It naturally happened that it was jumping, which is really funny because I was terrified of jumping when I was younger.
You jump high! What would your younger self say if she knew you grew up to jump professionally?
I was always truly terrified of jumping but I still never thought, I’m not going to do this. It was always, I’m doing it anyway. But I had so much fear. I still get nervous, but I don’t have that fear for my life that I did. Looking back, I’m like, Wow, I’m proud of her.
Do you consider yourself a competitive person?
It’s really funny because I don’t consider myself competitive. Whenever I say that, my friends and family are like, “No, you’re competitive.” But I don’t see it within myself. I try to psych myself down, even before a big competition where people are going really fast, like, Oh, I’m just gonna take it easy, and then I get in there and I go full out. I don’t know if it’s my way of calming myself down, but once I’m in the ring and I hear that bell go off, I go into another zone.
How do you cope with pre-performance jitters? I grew up figure skating and waiting to hit the ice was always the worst—all that anticipation with nothing to do.
It’s so similar because it has so much to do with timing and precision. With horses, it’s a lot of managing your nerves because you don’t want the horse to pick up on them. A little bit ago, I started visualizing my course, how I wanted it to feel, and imagined it going. Of course, things don’t always go according to plan, but I found that it really helped me stay calm. I focus on what I can control.
It’s so easy in moments of high stress to let emotions take the driver’s seat.
I did that for such a long time. I read a few books that helped me be more intentional about not doing that. That really helped me find a lot more of my confidence.
What were the books?
One is called The Champion’s Mind. I went through it and I would highlight passages that really spoke to me before a big competition. Your mind is everything. In all sports, there is a huge mental component.
Show jumping isn’t the most mainstream sport either. What is something about it that people misunderstand?
Whenever I talk about riding, a lot of people think I’m racing. I feel like that’s what people jump to—that I’m racing or doing dressage. [Editor’s note: Dressage—sometimes called “the ballet of horseback riding”—requires a rider and horse to perform a series of elegant movements together. Think: less obstacle jumping, more controlled routines.] But I think that people ultimately don’t understand the partnership of you and your horse, what goes into that, and how important it is.
How do you establish that partnership? Is it usually one bonding moment or built over time?
It’s completely different for each horse. Sometimes I have that instant gel where you just get each other from the get-go, but most of the time, it takes longer. Once you have that bond, though, it’s the best feeling. And I feel like that’s where sensitivity really plays a big role.
Tell me about some of your current horses and the bonds you share. I saw Don on Instagram the other day, looking dapper.
I have three horses: Don, Naomi, and Cayman. Don, my horse that I went to the Olympics on, is my heart. I’ve had him for six years now, and he is the happiest horse. You walk into the barn and he whinnies at you. He wants attention and he’s always so much fun to compete with. You really feel the joy in him.
Naomi is also amazing. She’s so competitive. She really gives you that extra inch. We finally gelled this past year. It took so much time.
Cayman…I’m still working to figure out. We get it sometimes and then the next round, I’m like, What just happened? I didn’t expect that. He is so unpredictable and really keeps me and my team guessing. He has so much personality, and sometimes he’ll just do the craziest things. You have to laugh at it. He’s so funny.
It sounds like you’ve formed close relationships at the barn. What do your relationships look like outside of riding?
I made the most amazing relationships in college with people who have become my lifelong friends. Having that outside of the riding has been incredible for me. We’re a seven-minute voice note crew, like literally we will send books back and forth to each other that way. It’s the best way to stay in touch, especially with different time zones, because then you can just respond whenever.
I have a friend who does the same—I joke it’s her podcast. Who are you in the friend group?
That’s a good question. I’d say I’m a listener. I love hearing whatever is going on in someone’s life and trying to be as supportive as possible. I’m definitely the least organized and the worst planner of the group, so they are the ones who are like, “Okay, you’re gonna be in New York this week, we’re gonna do this.” That’s what I need in my life—someone who is gonna take the wheel.
Type A friends are great to have. What is your most Type A quality?
I’m not super into astrology, but I’m a Capricorn, which is supposed to be so Type A. I don’t see those qualities in myself, but I would love to be more organized and leading the way. My most Type A quality is that I got this five-year journal—it’s short, just half a page every day—and since I started, I have not missed a day. Before I go to sleep, I don’t care what happened that day, I will write in my journal. I’m proud to say I’ve been really consistent with it. That and washing my face before bed. That’s a must after riding all day.
Any Type B traits?
I will get home from a trip and leave a suitcase packed for, like, way too long. Or I’ll leave things in packing cubes forever because they’re kind of organized that way. The cubes are out and I’m like, Okay, that kind of works, let’s just leave them to the side for now.
Genuinely so relatable. I know you’re dialing in from your boyfriend’s house, who’s also an equestrian. What’s it been like having a partner in the same field?
It’s been really great for me. It’s so nice to be able to share the sport with someone. It involves so much traveling and you are on your own so much, so to be able to do it together is the best thing ever. He’s so positive, supportive, and mentally strong.
That’s got to be extra nice because, as you said, every sport is super mental.
Sometimes you feel like you’re the only person having strong feelings, but everyone has them. I can kind of say any crazy thought or feeling I’m having and he’s just like, “Okay, let’s figure this out.” He has been really grounding for me in that sense. He is so kind and probably the least judgmental person I’ve ever met.
How would you describe yourself as an athlete?
I think sensitivity can be seen as a weakness in sports, but in mine, I’m able to really pick up on what my horses are feeling, so in that sense, I would say sensitive in a good way. I’ve really worked on my mental strength these past couple years, and I try to really enjoy myself every time I go out there, so I think joyful too.
Tell me more about sensitivity being perceived as a weakness.
I’m super protective of my horses, so I always want to make sure that they’re feeling 100 percent whenever they go in the ring. But I’ve been told so many times that I’m overly sensitive. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. I think that when you’re working really hard at something and you have ups and downs, it can be really emotional. I think in our sport, being able to really feel what your horse is feeling is important.
I think sensitivity can be a superpower. You mentioned mental strength. Tell me about a time you had to be mentally tough to overcome an obstacle.
In the months leading up to the 2020 Olympics and working hard to make that team, there was a moment where I really had to build my inner confidence. I had to find those tools, because I hadn’t really dug into them as much. I had always relied on external validation. But there was a big moment for me where I was like, “Okay, I really need to build up my confidence without that.” I was reading another book that said, “You have to believe in yourself before you’ve done the hard thing. You have to believe you can do it before you have the proof you actually can.” It spoke to me. Building self-belief was something I worked on really hard.
And then it happened! Being an athlete at the Olympics, what was exactly the way you thought it would be, and what was not at all the way you thought it would be?
Being able to be on the competitive circuit since I was about 18 or 19, I felt comfortable when I got there. I was like, Okay, this is another competition. These are people I’ve competed against throughout my career. But I didn’t realize how quickly everything would happen.
They were actually using a new format that year. Normally, you have four riders and one score doesn’t count. But in 2020, they switched to only three riders, and every score counted, so things were changing really quickly. It all happened so fast. I remember just watching and all of a sudden, it was like, “Oh my gosh, wait, we’re getting a medal.” I wasn’t expecting how quickly it goes. You work so hard for months and months and months leading up to it, and then it was over.
When did it finally hit you, like, I am an Olympic medalist?
It took me a long time to process it. It was my biggest dream come true. When I was young, I never wanted to say out loud, “I want to go to the Olympics” because I felt like it was too big of a dream for me. So having that become a reality was just such a proud moment. When I got back home, my family planned this celebration and it was going to be super small, but then at the last minute, everyone was like, “We’re coming, this is a huge deal.” Being around everyone who had been part of my journey? Yeah, that’s when it really hit me. The best part about milestones like the Olympics is that you can share them with the people you love.
Especially thinking of you as a shy kid, gaining confidence within the sport, then to be on that global stage, it’s really extraordinary. At this stage of your life, what does success feel like to you?
This sport is very humbling. You can go in one week and have the most incredible week, and then the next week it can all go downhill. I’ve had many ups and downs, but it’s also amazing because you’re able to have such a long career in this sport, which I think is rare. I’m grateful for that, but I think it also makes those moments of success so much sweeter. And not just for me either—it’s my whole team working together to make these moments happen. Day in and day out, it doesn’t feel any less exciting or fulfilling than it did when I was young.
And now for some Cosmo Sports rapid-fire questions: most worn item in your closet right now?
I have this oversized leather bomber jacket that I actually have to stop wearing because it’s on me every day. When I ordered it online, I was like, “I’m never gonna wear this.” I almost returned it, and now I literally wear it everywhere and anywhere. It’s from Revolve and it is just so comfortable and has a million pockets. It makes my outfits look so much cooler.
What was the last thing you searched on your phone?
I was looking up a horse that I saw somewhere, and I was looking for its results.
Who was your crush growing up, real or fictional?
Zac Efron in High School Musical. I was in love.
How many unread texts do you have?
Probably not that many, should I check? I mostly WhatsApp. Okay, yes, only five texts and 20 WhatsApps.
I admire you—my phone is not in that state.
No, my little brother literally has, like, 450 unread messages. I’m just like, “How?”
Favorite reality TV show?
Oh my gosh, I have a few. The Kardashians, if I had to pick one. But I also love Real Housewives.
Which Real Housewives?
I loved the old New York ones, but I love all of them.
Do you have a pre-competition ritual or lucky charm?
I’ll try to wear the same necklace, and I will listen to Taylor Swift. Before, when I was doing the Olympic trials, me and my friend put on a Taylor Swift song before every trial that we had. That was, like, our thing. I also have a couple lucky shirts that I rotate.
Favorite Taylor Swift song?
I can’t! I can’t pick just one.
Favorite Taylor album or era?
Midnights!
Did you go to the Eras Tour at any point?
I did. It was everything and more.
