SPOTLIGHT
RECYCLEBALLS GREEN GOLD This unique arena footing converts old tennis balls to top grade footing— helping the environment along the way WORDS: APRIL BILODEAU
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU COMBINE tennis balls and
equestrian sport? An innovative footing that benefits both horses and the environment. RecycleBalls Green Gold arena footing takes the best of one sport and applies it to the other.
“The tennis balls provide a cushioning in the footing that not only aids in less impact on the horse’s joints, but it also provides stability and traction,” Jordan Wooten, sales consultant for the Green Gold division of RecycleBalls, tells The Plaid Horse. Wooten, who rides Western, was amazed at the benefits of the footing for the horses. “I look at the horses as athletes,” she says. “Anything that’s better for them, I’m game for, and this really is better.”
FROM TENNIS BALLS TO THE RING Every year, 125 million tennis balls are brought to market. At the end of their life, they end up in landfills, adding an overwhelming amount to our planet’s waste. The balls are difficult to recycle due to their construction. Derrick Senior and his son Ryan, both
60
THE PLAID HORSE
lifelong tennis players, saw these numbers and knew something needed to be done to change the lifecycle of tennis balls and repurpose them for use in other avenues rather than contributing to trash. In 2016, RecycleBalls, a 501c3 non-profit, was born, with the mission to save the planet by reusing and recycling all tennis balls. To date, they have saved twelve million tennis balls from ending up in landfills. The new uses for tennis balls vary widely, from using them to construct tennis courts to making footing for equestrian arenas.
ALL ABOUT THE FOOTING RecycleBalls Green Gold footing, which can be used indoors or outdoors, is a mix of rubber and felt, which comes solely from the tennis ball. Additionally, the
December 2023/January 2024
