Born to jump: The story of Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, Jessica Springsteen's equestrian horse

TOKYO — The songs sounded familiar but they didn't know who that was strumming the guitar and bellowing into the microphone.

So when the stallion they foaled nearly 12 years ago on their breeding grounds in Belgium was sold to a farm in New Jersey, the Quintelier family researched Jessica Springsteen, daughter of music icon Bruce Springsteen.

“Now we know a little bit about Bruce Springsteen,” said Katrien Quintelier, the daughter of equestrian breeder Gustaaf Quintelier.

Any appreciation of Springsteen's music is thanks to The Boss’ daughter's intersection in their lives.

"We started to listen to the songs of Bruce Springsteen and we recognized them, but we didn’t know it was Bruce Springsteen," Katrien told USA TODAY Sports. "But we follow Jessica for her riding because she’s a great rider and she works hard at it. A lot of respect for her."

Jessica Springsteen will try for her own bit of international fame starting Tuesday at the equestrian individual qualifiers at the Tokyo Olympics, with Don Juan van de Donhoeve underneath her.

As Jessica's surname is Springsteen, the "van de Donkhoeve" could be considered that of Don Juan's, with "Donkhoeve" the name of Gustaaf Quintelier's farm.

Katrien Quintelier says her father became passionate about equestrian at age 18 and developed into an accomplished dressage rider. Now 46-years-old herself, Katrien said she believes her father started breeding equestrian horses when she was between 10 and 12.

"He keeps both (dressage and jumping) in mind while breeding," Katrien said.

Over the past decade, the operation – located in Hamme, a hamlet in the middle of a triangle between Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels – has become more serious, with 20 foals produced per year.

Gustaaf bred Don Juan's mother and grandmother, Equipharma Utopia van de Donkhoeve, who competed at the World Equestrian Games in 2010. Katrien's mother and father flew to Kentucky for the competition, but Equipharma did not start.

Thus making Don Juan's Olympics presence all the more special for Gustaaf and his family.

"He’s very proud," Katrien said. "He says, 'It’s like my work is fulfilled. It’s a recognition for all the work we put in it.' And the nicest thing is that Jessica Springsteen kept his entire name."

Don Juan was sold at age 7 to a Belgian equestrian named Eleonore Lambilliotte, who sold the stallion to the farm Springsteen trains at in Colts Neck, New Jersey, in 2019. Speaking in Japan on Monday, Springsteen, 29, said she and Don Juan have grown together over the past year.

"He has all the scope and all the power, everything comes very effortlessly to him, so for me it’s about getting the details and getting to know each other and I feel like we have a very good partnership," she said.

Katrien pointed out that only females have ridden the Belgian Warmblood.

“I think that’s because women have more patience with horses. He has a lot of quality, we always knew that, but he was always very sensitive,” Katrien said. “We know he is talented, but you have to believe in him. You have to trust him. You have to be a good rider and you have to have a lot of patience. And if you don’t have that, you can’t ride him, and he can’t show his qualities.”

The postponing of the Olympics by a year surely helped Springsteen and Don Juan develop their partnership. After all, they are a team, and if the rider does not commit to that aspect of the sport, "then it's over for the horse."

The pair competed as part of the U.S. jumping team at the Nations Cup Wellington during the spring, helping the U.S. take first place. Shortly thereafter, they were named to the Olympics shortlist and secured third place at the ROLEX Grand Prix of Rome.

"For me, it was getting to jump these bigger classes with the pressure and really learning to stay out of his way and trust him more," Springsteen said. "I think your natural reaction when you’re jumping big is to ride a bit stronger, but with him, he really doesn’t need that. I’ve learned to ride of my feeling and trust in his ability."

It's a partnership that will have parties from the Belgian province of East Flanders to New Jersey's Monmouth County invested in the developments in Tokyo.

The Quinteliers will be paying attention Tuesday – they planned to host friends for a watch party – and when Springsteen and Don Juan ride in the team competition later this week.

"For us, it’s a great moment," Katrien said. "We hope they do well there. But any result, we will celebrate it."

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jessica Springsteen, equestrian horse Don Juan, jump at Tokyo Olympics