Their parents have a ton of money. These ladies were born into the families of billionaires, yet they devoted themselves to sports, and their diligence got them all the way to competing under the famous five rings. You probably won't be surprised to learn that horses play a big role in their lives. Horse races are known to involve big money and it has always been more of a sport of the "upper classes". Rich dads often go out of their way and invest astronomical amounts of money into procuring the very best horse for their "little girls". Making their daughters happy can be quite pricy - such as a mare for a birthday for a quarter of a billion crowns as a birthday gift! On the other hand, we can't forget that these girls compete in the Olympics, which requires solid talent.
I've heard the opinion that when it comes to horse riding, the horse does most of the work, which is unfair, a few times already. But it couldn't be further from the truth! The rider and the horse must be in perfect unison, and they also need to be well trained - after all, we are talking about the Olympic Games here. Professional riders train every day, sometimes in two phases. Add to that the care for horses and you'll realize that this sport isn't just about riding itself. It also involves long hours spent in the stables or doing other work around the horses. Like any top sport or hobby, horse riding isn't for free.
"In order for a rider and their horse to reach Olympic level, it's necessary to train at least four times, sometimes five times a week. Ideally with a coach, of course, because one usually doesn't make it this far alone. Horses cannot train daily, sometimes you have to schedule a lazier day with only a walk,"
And it's quite possible that the daughters of rich fathers are even more motivated than other people. Who could possiby like going through life with nothing to show but the "rich girl" label. A big success, such as qualification for the Olympics, is a great proof that you're not one to rely solely on "pocket money". These ladies definitely don't rely on their parents's wealth; they want to pave their own path. Make a name for themselves. They want to be known for their own achievements, not for the riches their mothers and fathers have amassed. Driven by ambition, they are result-oriented and fight to succeed. They want to make it at all costs, and quite often, they succeed - after all, it runs in their blood.
Anna Kasprzak is a 31-year-old Danish rider. She represented her country at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Her best result dates back to London, where she placed 4th with the Danish team. For her best individual result, she had to wait for Rio, where she ended up on the 14th place. Among other achievements, she won four bronze medals at the European Championship of Young Riders and a silver medal at the 2017 European Championship.
The Danish rider is the daughter of Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak, owner and CEO of the ECCO brand, founded by Anna's grandfather Karl Toosbuy. Today, the shoe brand already has three owners - Anna, her brother André and their mother. The value of the company is estimated at 33 billion crowns.
Agnete Kirk Thinggaard is another Danish rider who represented her country at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She finished 26th in the individual competition and won 6th place in the team competition. She also competed in two World Cups, where she finished 11th and 9th.
Agnete is the youngest daughter of the former Lego CEOs, now owning a 75% stake together with her father, sister and brother. The 38-year-old rider is also a board member of the Lego Foundation. It all started in 1932, when her great-grandfather Ole began making wooden toys in his workshop. In the 1940s, he switched to plastic. But it doesn't end with Lego. Her family owns a 50% stake in Merlin Entertainments adventure resorts.
Let us introduce you another lady who wasn't born to run, but to ride. The daughter of music icon Bruce Springsteen Jessica is in peak form, and she's going to prove it at the Tokyo Olympics. On Monday, July 5, the US team announced that she was going to be one of the four athletes to represent the country in parkour in Japan. It will be her first time under the five rings and she'll be competing with her 12-year-old Belgian stallion named Don Juan van de Donkhoeve. The duo will have their premiere on August 3.
"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!! There’s no horse in the world I’d rather be on this journey with, thank you Don,"
Jessica wrote in her Instagram post. She will be competing in Tokyo alongside the two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Kent Farrington. According to Sports Illustrated, Springsteen was already a substitute for the London Olympics in 2012.
It's unbelievable, but the Czech parkour team will compete at the Olympics after 85 years. The last time Czechoslovak parkourists introduced themselves in Berlin was in 1936. The fact that Aleš Opatrný, Ondřej Zvára, Kamil Papoušek and Anna Kellnerová are going to Tokyo is sensational! The team's greenhorn, Anna, suffered serious injuries last May when she fell from a horse in Madrid and broke her femur in two places. At that moment, her dream of the Olympics seemed to be lost.
But everything changed last August at the Prague Cup, where she performed flawlessly with her mare Catch Me If You Can and advanced among the elite as the only one of the six Czech riders. She garnered huge applause from the sold-out Chuchle Arena Prague and could finally relax.
The transition to the "VIP Olympic team", however, wasn't cheap for her. In 2018, the late Petr Kellner bought Anna the aforementioned mare Catch Me If You Can for her 22nd birthday - a gift worth a quarter of a billion crowns. Why that much? There was an enormous interest in this excellent mare and Petr Kellner had to overpay for one of the richest people on the planet - Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who wanted to buy a mare for his daughter Jennifer.