Horse Illustrated Magazine

Florida resident Todd Minikus, a leading show jumping rider who successfully competed his way to the 2004 U.S. Olympic show jumping team as an alternate, is suing married rockers Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa for breach of contract according to paperwork filed in a Palm Beach county civil court on Oct. 3. Stone Hill Farm in Colts Neck, N.J., was also named as a defendant.

According to a news report published on Sun-Sentinel.com Oct. 5, Minikus has accused the famous couple of backing out of a contract to buy one of his top horses, Pavarotti, a Dutch Warmblood gelding, valued at $850,000. Minikus competed the horse in the show jumping phase of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In that event, Team USA walked away with a bronze medal.

According to the Sun-Sentinel report, in July the Springsteens agreed to pay $650,000 along with trading a horse they owned, valued at $200,000, to acquire Pavarotti for their daughter, Jessica Springsteen, who competes in hunters. The Springsteens paid a deposit of $25,000.

According to court documents, Scialfa wanted to back out of the deal after the PanAm Games, fearing that Pavarotti might not be right for her daughter.

Minikus alleges that the Springsteens got cold feet after the Pan American Games and that Pavarotti’s value has been diminished as a result of the fallout, according to the Sun-Sentinel report.