Springsteen’s Olympic Dreams ‘Vindicat’ed

By Paula Parisi September 19, 2012

Jessica Springsteen has purchased Vindicat W, the 10-year-old KWPN gelding British rider Peter Charles rode to team Gold at the 2012 Olympics.

Springsteen, a 20-year-old U.S. rider with Olympic aspirations of her own. She was on the long list of United States Equestrian Federation contenders for the London Games.

She has spent the past few months riding in the extremely competitive Global Champions Tour of Europe, where her top placing so far was second in the Prix du Canton de Vaud CSI5* 1.50m on Vornado van den Hoendrik in Lausanne, Switzerland, Sept. 14.

Other horses Jessica has on the GCT are Cincinatti La Silla, Temmie and Wish.

Vindicat’s half-siblings Ninja la Silla and Authentic fared well at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, winning the Silver and Bronze medals, respectively.

He was sold by owners Olga White and Tara Charles, who is Peter’s wife. The women sponsored the horse under their Team Murka banner, competing him under the name Murka’s Vindicat W.

Rider Charles announced Wednesday that the horse he calls “Vinnie” was sold to Springsteen, citing a desire to purchase new young horses with an eye toward the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.  The move puts Springsteen on her own championship track, toward the WEG and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero.

“Vinnie is one of the best horses I have ever ridden, so the decision to move him on has not come lightly,” Charles wrote on his Facebook page.

“He produced an outstanding performance to secure Team Gold for Britain for the first time in 60 years, and I will never forget how that felt and how unbelievably proud he made me and my team feel.

“In order to invest in a new string of young horses in preparation for Rio, we have had to make the decision to allow him to move to another rider. He will now be ridden by his new owner Jessica Springsteen for the USA. I wish Jessica the best of luck with him and I am sure he will make her proud, too.”

The purchase price was not disclosed.

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