Our Name

We’ve been asked to share how we decided to go with Quarter Pole Apparel as our name and brand.  While there are many brands that utilize some depiction of a horse, we foremost wanted our brand to be unique, exclusive to horse racing, and have a bit of a “back-story”.

Early on in our brainstorming sessions, we came across this article from the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club written by Mac McBride found here:  https://www.dmtc.com/media/news/the-poles-are-where-it-begins-and-ends-out-on-548.  In that article he describes the significance of the poles on a racetrack and includes quotes from leaders in the sport:

Hall of Fame Jockey Kent Desormeaux says “Most all horses, especially the good ones, have a good quarter mile run in them. You can ask them for it there. If you’ve had to use some of it before then, you’re probably going to be in trouble. My job is to find my horse’s best high-cruising speed throughout the race and keep them there. Then when we get to the quarter pole, we’re going for it.”

Hall of Fame Jockey Mike Smith also states that “Most horses will give it to you for a quarter mile.”

Track announcer Trevor Denman goes into great detail about the poles but has this to say about the quarter pole. “The big one is the quarter pole. That’s where all the action happens. You can see with some of those horses that the jocks normally let them go just when they’re coming to the quarter pole. If they open up there and they’re strong, you’re not going to catch them. But by the same token, if they’re on the lead and they start getting weary, the quarter pole is the one that’s going to find them out. You can almost tell at the quarter pole whether they’re going to run on or not.”

Let’s not forget, however, that the most significant marker on a racetrack is the finish line. And. So. Many. Things. Must. Go. Perfectly... to get there! It starts all the way back to the the breeding, then the diet, conditioning, training and sometimes just plain ole good luck. However, all that preparation becomes most notable and apparent at the quarter pole, because that is where the racehorse will show what he or she is truly capable of when he begins to exert his very best effort. This is also when the story of class and performance begins. Sometimes a horse is not cut out to be a racehorse and that’s okay too. Many move on to a more suitable career for themselves doing other equestrian sports, providing equine-assisted therapy, or simply being someone's beloved pleasure horse.

We hope this gives you some insight as to why we’ve focused on the quarter pole in our name and branding. In addition to loving what the quarter pole represents in horse racing, and loving the depiction of a racehorse making that final turn with his strongest push from the quarter pole to the finish line, we believe it also connects well with our mission of pushing the boundaries of corporate charitable giving by committing 2.5% of gross sales to organizations that support horse racing and Thoroughbred aftercare. We welcome you to join us in giving your very best in supporting a wonderful sport and its athletes by buying your clothing and apparel from us.