Bruce Springsteen and his wife are being sued, accused of backing out of a contract to buy a horse worth $850,000 for their teenage daughter.

Olympic equestrian Todd Minikus filed the breach of contract lawsuit Thursday in Florida’s Palm Beach County. It claims Springsteen and Patti Scialfa reneged on a deal to pay Minikus $650,000 for the horse, named Pavarotti, and give him their horse named Scarlett, worth $200,000.


The lawsuit says the couple, who live in Monmouth County and own Stone Hill Farm, put a $25,000 deposit on Pavarotti in July but later had second thoughts about whether the horse was right for their daughter Jessica.


Minikus, a former member of the U.S. Equestrian Team, claims the couple had a change of heart after he rode the 10-year-old gelding at the Pan American Games in Brazil. That event was held after the contract was signed but before the transaction was complete, he says.


Before the competition, Minikus described Pavarotti as the least experienced horse on his squad

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