About Us
An Emphasis on Quality Care
Scots Ridge Farm is a high-quality equestrian boarding and training center located on 98-acres of beautiful rolling pastures just 15 minutes outside Knoxville, Tennessee. We offer a wide variety of programs for horses and riders of all ages and all levels of experience.
From private show clients, professionals, and casual riders to college, high school, and middle school teams to the adult or child beginner, the facility is home to a warm and vibrant community of horse enthusiasts. Clients participate in lessons, shows, clinics, and equestrian travel. We also offer special retirement amenities for older or retired horses.
Scots Ridge is run by Maryville College under the direction of Hunter Jumper Professional Trainer Christen Khym, a partnership with a 25-year history of providing superlative horse care and rider experiences for East Tennessee equestrians. A point of pride, made possible by our talented College horses, is that clients need not own a horse to enjoy the opportunities we offer.
A History of Excellence
An accomplished professional across equestrian disciplines from Hunter-Jumpers to Polo, Christen McCammon Khym founded the Maryville College Equestrian Team (MCET) in 1994 and went on to build equine businesses with the mission of extending participation in horse activities to a broader community. At several different locations over the last 25 years, she has blended the college team with private boarding, training, and lesson programs, and founded Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) teams. Under her direction, both the MCET and the college-affiliated IEA Teams host shows and compete at the local, regional, zone, and national levels.
In addition to team shows, we provide training and transportation for clients interested in participating in local and regional shows affiliated with the East Tennessee Hunter-Jumper Association and United States Equestrian Federation. Select clients also have the opportunity to travel to “A” shows in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
In 2018, the community made the move to its Scots Ridge home, situated in lush farmland only 15 minutes from both Knoxville and Maryville. In addition to the teams, the program includes 40 horses, numerous private clients, and lesson programs in different disciplines.
Our program has also long had a special relationship with the Clonshire Equestrian Center in Adare, Ireland. Each year, riders and their families travel to this beautiful location within minutes of the famed Adare Manor Resort to participate in lessons, cross-country jumping, equine therapy, trail and beach rides, as well as golf, hiking, and culinary pursuits. In 2019, we had a record group of 40 members of the Scots Ridge community travel to Clonshire for a week of organized equine and tourist activities curated specially for us.
A Commitment to the Community
Our community spirit extends beyond our fences. Several of our beloved older college horses have been donated to the Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR) to live out their days in semi-retirement as part of their hippotherapy program. Unneeded used equipment is often donated to STAR as well.
Scots Ridge is proud to be actively involved in horse rescue. We are a supporter of Horse Haven of Tennessee, a horse and donkey rescue in Lenoir City, having spent time volunteering with them during the Maryville College team's "boot camp" and, most recently, adopting a miniature horse from their program. We are also home to numerous rescued thoroughbred ex-racehorses who find new lives, jobs, and love with our clients and on our teams. Several of them have been saved from slaughter pens at the US border.