Bruce Springsteen's daughter Jessica, 22, has bought a top Irish show jumper to compete in international events.

The Irish Independent reports that the bay mare, Lisona, was bred in Co Meath by former Irish Army rider Commandant John Ledingham. One of Ireland's top sport horses, Lisona has been ridden by Darragh Kerins over the last three years, helping the Irish team to victory at Hickstead and in Dublin at the 2012 Nations Cup.

"It was a very hard decision for us to make, she will be sadly missed in my barn," said Kerins, who was co-owner of the horse with Maarten Huygens.

Said the chairman of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) Pat Wall: "It's great to see an Irish horse sold for mega-money, and with a high-profile rider like Jessica Springsteen the horse will remain in the limelight, flying the flag for Irish breeders."

While the sum paid for the horse has not been revealed, Jessica's rock star father is expected to be grossing around $16 million when he plays several live concerts across Ireland this summer - a tidy sum that should well cover the price of pony.

The Boss, whose great-great-grandmother Ann Garrity was born in Mullingar, made his first Irish appearance at Slane Castle in 1985.