United States Eventing Association

On any given day, you are almost certain to find UT’s Alex Green if you check just one particular spot—Dry Ridge Farm in Loudon, Tennessee. The farm is the home of Green’s own entrepreneurial venture, Alex Green Eventing. While many students are spending their time outside of the classroom hanging out with friends, Green is diligently working to build her growing business, both on the farm and as she travels the country. It is a life-long dream for Green, and one best described in her own words:

“I grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and if anyone from Knoxville Catholic High School remembers...I was the ‘horse girl.’ Outside of the horse industry, I was fortunate to be born into a home with two loving parents and two older brothers. Growing up in a household with two older brothers that were always faster, stronger, and smarter left me with no choice but to fight for something I could beat them at. I played every sport my brothers played, studied and read what they read, and lived and breathed wanting to grow up to be just like them--until the day my dad took me out to ‘his farm,’ a 200-acre piece of land with too many trees, too many hills, and two untrained horses. To this day, I do not know if he would say it was the best decision of his life or the worst! From then on, I was hooked on horses. Horses know exactly how to humble you when you get too big for your britches… Some good dirt in your face can do that to you.

“Regardless of the dirt I have digested over the years, I have been running across the country trying to prove to the equestrian world what I have to bring to the table. Currently, I am campaigning three horses at the upper levels of Three Day Eventing with the plan to one day compete at the international level for the United States. To fulfill this dream, I built an equestrian business to involve myself more deeply in the equestrian community. Our family farm has grown into a four-star equestrian facility that provides a home to my business.

“On the weekdays, I spend hours each day at Dry Ridge Farm in the ring and fields, either training my competition horses, training clients’ horses, or teaching lessons to students who either compete or ride for pleasure. This work funds my own competition expenses, although I also am supported through sponsorships by both local and national businesses. I buy and train horses to resell to customers who are looking for very specific qualities in their animals.

“Weekends include loading up a trailer on Thursday afternoon and hitting the road with the horses in tow, sometimes traveling across the country to gallop on the hardest tracks. At the end of the day, the success of my business is attributed to three things: my passion for the sport and the people, the constant support of my family and the people around me, and the horses. There is no one or nothing that will work for you like the heart of a horse, and that is a life lesson that has changed the way I live and view things entirely.

“Any person who has spent time with a horse, whether it be in the saddle or the stall, knows exactly what I am talking about. Horses push you to work harder for them because they give so much for you on a daily basis. Surrounding yourself with this type of influence will only change your life for the better. It would be nearly impossible to work the 70 or so hours a week that I do if I did not love every element of the business.

“My ‘other’ life is being a college student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, pursuing a degree in economics. My family is really a bunch of business men who love to talk about money, the market, and how it all relates in the crazy scheme of things. With my father being such a huge role model for my life, I was always pestering him for information on what his job as a financial advisor was all about. Once I was a bit older, and hopefully a tad bit smarter, I took an interest in how everything comes together within the business realm.

“My time at UT already has helped me grow my business to be three times more profitable than it was 12 months ago, and I hope to continue being an asset to our community. I hope to keep growing my business and graduate on time with my fellow classmates.

“Once class lets out and the horses have been ridden, I do find some time to do something outside of those two worlds. In November, I ran my first half marathon and have been hooked on running since! I am an avid fan of keeping a ‘bucket list,’ and there are plenty of thrill seeking, rewarding, and adventurous endeavors still to cross off my list. I am very happy to say that the road ahead is always looking great. The path may not be clear just yet, but I’ve got some great horses underneath me and some wonderful people at my side, so we will keep marching on with a fire in our step!”

This article orginally appeared in the e-archways, the newsletter for the University of Tennessee's school of business.