Despite being the daughter of six-time Badminton winner Lucinda Green, Lissa didn't get her first horse until she was 20. Find out about this, and other surprising facts about the up-and-coming eventer
1. She never gives up
As an up-and-coming rider with limited finances, Lissa either develops young horses or takes on rides with issues she hopes she can improve… And she’s never given up on one yet, learning massively from each experience. Her top horse Malin Head Clover (stable name ‘Ali G’ ) is a case in point. Having had to learn to take responsibility, slow down, balance and think across country, he is now being prepared now for his — and Lissa’s — first Badminton.
2. A fascination with the criminal mind
If she hadn’t become a rider, Lissa says her dream job would be criminal psychology. She read criminology and forensic science for a year at Bristol university: “I love prisons and criminal minds. My whole Sky box is full of episodes of The Mentalist.”
3. Social Media savvy
A self-confessed Facebook addict, Lissa Green Eventing has a following of almost 21,000 lapping up news, end-of-season reviews and videos of young horses learning to pop over roadside ditches etc. Lissa enjoys “live tweeting” commentary from big events and has nearly 7,000 Instagram followers.
4. She’s a clever crowdfunder
Lissa put out a Facebook plea for people who would consider backing an exciting young horse — Corragio Z, known as Snoop at home — to the tune of £100 for 10 months to finance his season. So far 10 people have joined ‘the Snoop Group’ with Leucillin animal skincare further supporting the horse too.
5. Her drummer brother
Lissa is not the only up-and-coming Green in the press. Her older brother Freddie (who last year married New Zealand eventer Lizzie Brown) is drummer with the band The Dirty Youth, who have just been signed to make their first album at Abbey Road Studios.
6. Sports mad
Lissa loves live sport of all kinds, particularly football, tennis and rugby (Man United and Rafa Nadal are favourites). “I’ll even watch darts,” she laughs. At one point she wanted to be a heptathlete.
“Year round turnout is at the centre of our horses’ welfare,” says Lissa. It helps keep youngsters chilled and older horses relaxed and moving. The grazing she has at the lovely Wiltshire yard where she is based is ideal.
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8. She got her first horse at 20
With her mother busy paying school fees, Lissa’s first rides were on borrowed horses. “It was a case of beg, borrow or steal until then, which I kind of resented when I was younger,” says Lissa. “But I now realise it taught me so much.”
9. Immortalised in cake
For her last birthday earlier this month, her mother contacted Happyhills cakes to make a spectacular 3D cake of Lissa and Ali G jumping into the water at Blenheim (pictured below). “I’ve never seen anything like it — they even got his noseband right,” laughs Lissa.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
10. One owner is a former Olympic rower
Alison (Ali) Gill, who rowed at three Olympics for Britain, and is an amateur rider, has shares in Malin Head Clover, another three-star horse Hollyfield and Lissa is riding a horse of hers at novice this year. Ali is also a business psychologist: “She’s just one of those people I’d always go to for advice,” says Lissa.
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Lissa and her mother Lucinda, in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (9 February 2017)
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Lucy edited Horse & Hound from March 2002 until June 2014 and never had a dull day. She events (very badly) for fun, hunts whenever she can, and has written on topics ranging from embryo transfer to fall simulators. She’s reported from the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games and 2011 European Eventing Championships.
