The Name
THIRTY 1 LENGTHS
Developing a brand isn’t an easy task. Especially when it’s your brand and you are in the business of building brands and telling stories. What were the core values of the business we were about to start? Integrity. Innovation. Discipline. And Leadership. And what was the story behind the brand going to be?
These words instantly reminded me of a story that my mother told me growing up. The kind of story that you hate until you are old enough to appreciate it.
THIRTY 1 LENGTHS the facts:
In 1973, the United States was not a positive place to be. The “free love” era of the 60’s had been replaced with fear and corruption. We were in the middle of the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Oil Crisis, and at the heart of the Water Gate scandal. America needed a reason to be inspired.
No one could have imagined that inspiration could come in the form of a racehorse, but it did. Secretariat, or “Big Red” as many would call him, was larger than life. After winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown (The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness) not only had he set new records at both races, he had captured the imagination and hearts of the entire country. Many wondered if he could do it again.
On June 9th 1973 with the running of the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat didn’t disappoint. His jockey described his experience running the race, as the horse taking total control, almost as if Secretariat wanted to win more than anyone else. Sure enough, he won the race by 2 seconds (1/16th of a mile) or 31 lengths of a horse. Secretariat ran the race in 2:24 – a record that still stands today. It was one of those magical moments in history that make sports truly beautiful.
The name Thirty 1 Lengths comes from the margin of victory at the Belmont Stakes, but that isn’t the whole story.
THIRTY 1 LENGTHS Mom’s story:
Secretariat retired shortly after his Triple Crown victory and went back to Tweedy Farms in Virginia. The house on their property had Dutch doors and Secretaiat was known to pop his head in the house and act as a member of the family. This was very uncommon behavior, as most thoroughbred horses have a very high-strung temperament and can be difficult to be around. Secretariat went on to live a good life with the Tweedy family and was greatly loved by the public until the day he died.
The family did an autopsy after he passed away to figure out what made this horse different from every other horse on the planet. What they found was that his heart that was actually twice the size of a normal racehorse. The exam showed that his heart weighed 22 pounds, the largest ever recorded for a racehorse.
THIRTY 1 LENGTHS to me:
This story embodies everything that I could ever want my company to be. The part that means the most isn’t about the victories, its what my mother found value in telling me hundreds of times. It’s INTEGRITY.
The fact that Secretariat wasn’t only a humble champion, but it was that his heart was literally twice the size of his competitors. This is why the company is named Thirty 1 Lengths. We have a lot to live up to!
