By Stephanie Bulger
IN THE SHORT TIME SINCE I FOUNDED GREEN IS THE NEW
BLUE (GITNB) in 2019, we have had many successes. From
spearheading the eco-initiatives at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show (the oldest continually running hunter jumper show in America) to having our mission prominently displayed at The Pennsylvania National and Washington International Horse Shows, our work has been warmly received by the community. Seeing our Green jump on the gorgeous field of the Palm Beach Masters being cleared (and sometimes knocked down!) by our equestrian idols like Beezie Madden, Rodrigo Pessoa, and Margie Engle was definitely a dream come true for me. Even more amazing is that after moments like these, so many people reached our and asked about our work. Some asked to help or wanted to get involved; others still simply wanted to say thank you. We are building a community of like-minded equestrians, and this, above all, is something I am most proud of.
After getting GITNB off the ground, one of our main goals
was to figure our how to engage the younger generation of riders. They are our future, and I believe that young people have the most innovative ideas and are the most our of the box thinkers. One young lady named Piper, competing at the HITS Culpepper Horse Show in August, beat us to the punch when she took it upon herself to bring her own recycling bins to the horse show! She noticed a lack of proper waste removal options, and rather than simply complaining or sitting by and doing nothing, she took action. After long, hot days of competing, Piper personally emptied the bins, and sorted and properly disposed of the recyclables. What an amazing young lady.
How many of us would have given up, or shrugged our shoulders and said there was nothing that could be done? How many of us would have said we were too tired, hot, or hungry to do the work at the end of the day? We can all learn a lesson from Piper. She shows us that it's not about huge gestures, publicity, or notoriety. It's about quiet determination and making small changes. At the end of nearly 18 months of operation, I am most proud of inspiring one young person to do her part. This, to me, has been our greatest success.
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