5 Ways to Recycle Your Dog-Show Ribbons

What a nice problem to have: Too many ribbons. You’ve hung them around your house and kennel, framed them, maybe even sewn them into a quilt or pillow. Still, there’s an ever-growing pile.

You find yourself starting to “get” why so many of the colorful nylon beauties — the ones you’ve worked so hard to win — litter the ground (or are dumped into trash bins — a punishable offense) at the end of dog shows. Especially the “lesser” ribbons.

First, congratulations on your success. Second, as a long-time dog- and horse-show competitor, I have some ideas to help you “recycle” those ribbons.

DONATE YOUR ROSETTES. Therapeutic riding centers, which work with individuals of all ages who have a wide variety of special needs by using therapeutic/adaptive horsemanship, will often take rosette ribbons to award their riders. Instructors use the ribbons not only at competitions, but also for such benchmarks as learning to balance without assistance in the saddle.

A rider at SIRE Therapeutic Riding Center in Texas proudly displays the donated (and “customized”) ribbon he earned.

To find a certified therapeutic riding center in your area, go to the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, or PATH International, at www.pathintl.org. PATH International Equine Services for Heroes assists military personnel and veterans, who also find help and healing through horses. You’ll find more info on the PATH website.

I’ve also placed ribbons with elementary schools. Teachers use them, for instance, to reward students for reading an assigned number of books, and for art projects. According to the teachers, the idea of earning ribbons helps motivate children. (Kids love ribbons!)

Tip: “Customizing” ribbons by cutting off any lettering on the streamers can make them easier to place. Putting a label or sticker over the show logo on the rosette will make the ribbons even more versatile; more about that in a minute. (Labels and stickers in a wide variety of sizes, colors and designs are available online or anywhere that sells office or craft supplies.)

If you don’t have time to customize your ribbons, high school students looking to earn service hours can be a great help. (I call them my “Ribbon Wranglers.”) Girl and Boy Scout troops, 4-H clubs and other service groups can be another source for help. (I’ve even had therapeutic riding centers use customizing ribbons as occupational therapy for their programs.)

Tip: I’ve also donated rosettes to dog rescue groups and shelters. Volunteers use the ribbons on the dog crates/pens to help promote available dogs.

Dog rescue groups and shelters can use donated ribbons to help promote available dogs at adoption events.

Note: Offer only clean, unwrinkled ribbons to potential recipients — ribbons you’d be proud to hand out. If you find some Ribbon Wranglers, they may be able to help you iron any wrinkled ones. Also, if you’ve written your dog’s name or any such notes on back of your rosettes, cover the writing with a blank rectangular or round label.

REPURPOSE YOUR FLAT RIBBONS. Flat ribbons (the ones without rosettes) can be harder to place than rosettes. Try contacting elementary schools, senior centers, day-care centers, special-needs programs or state schools that could use the colorful ribbons (rosettes as well) for art projects, such as in collages featuring dog breeds, or cities and states. What fun for young, and young-at-heart craft lovers!

USE ROSETTES AS AT-HOME REWARDS, THANK-YOUS AND MORE. If your child completes a tough chore and you want to reward him or her, simply cover the show logo in the middle of a rosette with a “Thank You” sticker and use scissors or pinking shears to cut off any lettering on the streamers. (You can find stickers at craft-supply stores or online that say pretty much anything.) Ditto if your child had a great day at soccer or any sport, and you want to celebrate him or her with a special reward.

Reward your child for doing chores with “thank-you” ribbons. Celebrate him or her having a great sports event with a “customized” Number One ribbon.

If you have an ailing friend, use a “Get Well” sticker — having a beautiful ribbon hanging in the room can provide a mood lift. “For You” stickers can turn a rosette ribbon into a unique gift-wrap and/or gift-tag accessory. Get creative!

MAKE “FLOWERS” OUT OF THEM. I’ve made ribbon bouquets out of rosettes and created “arrangements” in attractive baskets or inexpensive metal tubs found at hobby supply stores. You can use them (as I and my clubs have) to draw attention and help raise money, or to promote dog-show or club-related charities. I’m no artist, but with a glue gun, plus wooden dowels (which act as “stems” to be inserted into a Styrofoam base cut to fit the container), you have a ribbon bouquet!

Tip: Use same-sized and colored rosettes glued back-to-back, with the dowel/stem sandwiched between them. That way, the ribbon flowers will be beautiful from all angles. To add color to the wood “stems,” slip them into brightly colored plastic straws; you can find a variety of colors and sizes at party- and craft-supply stores.)

DON’T TOSS THOSE MEDALS, PLAQUES AND TROPHIES. Your local Goodwill or Salvation Army may accept plaque and trophy donations. (Call ahead to check.) If your dog-show award involves a medallion, it can be recycled, too. Go to sportsmedalrecycling.com for more information. (Or, add a Christmas-tree hanger, and you have a memorable “ornament” to hang from your holiday tree!)

Tip: Offer unengraved decorative metal or ceramic plates and platters (common group-placement awards) to your club or other clubs in your area, to be used as awards at future shows.

My Ribbon Journey

I first noticed dumped ribbons at world- and national-level horse shows. I’d see them tossed in the dirt, and think, “What a waste!” My husband, Rick, and I have been avid recyclers for decades, so I started thinking about possible ways to repurpose unwanted ribbons.

Having donated used horse equipment to local therapeutic riding centers over the years, I wondered if they’d welcome donated show ribbons to hand out to their very special riders. I called and asked the directors of those facilities, and the answer was “YES!”

That was in 2009. The riders loved getting ribbons for their hard work. Seeing their joy, I sensed there might be a need beyond my Houston, Texas, area. I’d stepped back as long-time editor of a national equine-enthusiast publication, but still wrote a monthly personal column. Through it, I asked my 160,000 readers if they’d be interested in donating their show ribbons for distribution to organizations that could use them. The result was an overwhelming “yes!” My charity, Ribbon Recycling (www.ribbonrecycling.com), was born.

My own horses and dogs have contributed ribbons to be recycled. World-champion hunter rider Peter Pletcher, of PJP Farm in Magnolia, Texas, who’s my trainer, has donated thousands of ribbons since my charity’s inception. Two-time Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Best in Show winner, Scott Sommer, who handled my top-winning Greater Swiss Mountain Dog “Gus” (GCh. Derby’s Toast With Gusto), has also contributed. Plus, over the past 14 years, I’ve collected tens of thousands of dog- and horse-show ribbons from competitors like you and shipped them to therapeutic riding facilities, children’s hospitals and other groups across North America.

My horse, Hallpass (trained by Peter Pletcher, with assistant trainer Jef Lauwers in the irons), and my late top show dog, "Gus," with Scott Sommer, have donated many ribbons to therapeutic riding centers, schools and children's hospitals.

The Covid-19 pandemic put a dent in ribbon donations, both incoming and outgoing, due to closures. During the shutdowns, I decided to scale back and “go local”: I now only collect from competitors and shows in my area and donate to local organizations. The good news? Ribbons can still be recycled nationally, thanks to you!

How? Donate your ribbons locally, just as I do. This article will help you start. Since we have dog (and horse) shows all over North America, ribbon donations can once again occur nationally. When you donate, everyone wins. — Copeland