The Inspiration Behind the Brand.

Hunt Club is the brainchild of 24 year old amateur equestrian, graphic designer and rad outdoorsy person Sara Ladley. Frustrated by the lack of cute and affordable schooling tees for young equestrians that didn’t look like they came straight from the kids rack, she struck out in the spring of 2014 to find a way to change the game. A lifelong outdoorswoman, she sought to meld the adventure-inspired aesthetic of popular outdoor brands with iconic imagery and classic styling that all equestrians can relate to. In April of that year Hunt Club was born - a unique equestrian label that draws inspiration from the world beyond the barn. Read on to get the scoop on what inspires Sara’s designs and the vision behind the Hunt Club brand. 

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If it gets you outside or requires a helmet, chances are I love to do it. As a lifelong skier, climber, and lover of the outdoors, my goal is to bring the aesthetic of adventure gear to the equestrian world. 

"I never really fit the cookie-cutter standard for your regular “horse obsessed girl”. I love spending long days at the barn, but I also love traveling, hiking, skiing, and just about every single sport that requires a helmet. I’d rather wear a shirt covered in mud than one covered in glitter, so when it comes to choosing what to wear to the barn every day, I always felt somewhat limited in my choices. You tend to see two kinds of equestrian apparel on the market today - slick, sparkly, and expensive gear imported form Europe, or ultra-preppy brands that lean more towards "Lily Pulitzer" than "rugged horsewoman". I wanted something that reflected my personal style, and hopefully the style of other adventurous equestrians out there. 

The goal of Hunt Club's designs isn’t to scream “I’m a crazy horse girl”, but rather to sneak equestrian lifestyle motifs and designs onto our tees and sweatshirts in a way that will garner knowing head nods and thumbs up from fellow riders when you pass them at the grocery store or in the line at Starbucks. Styling aside, we also want to make gear that works hard and lasts a lifetime. Riders need clothing that can tackle long days at the farm, but so many of us are adventurous souls outside of the barn as well. If you're buying performance apparel, it should be able to perform no matter where you wear it - for your jumping lesson, at the climbing gym, or out in the backcountry for an overnight camping trip. Blend that function-driven design ethos with the traditional equestrian aesthetic and you'll get something the horse world hasn't seen before. 

 

The newest addition to the Hunt Club line - The Sterling Competition Sun Shirt - arrives in October of 2018.

This year Hunt Club is moving into developing our own line of bespoke competition essentials. It's been a dream almost two years in the making, and we're so excited to shake up the industry with a show shirt designed specifically by and for hunter and equitation riders. Even while designing for the show ring, we made sure our new competition line doesn't lose sight of our core mission - to deliver casual and performance apparel that's durable, functional, with a hint of adventurous style. 

As a working adult, I view riding (and every other sport or hobby I dabble in) as an escape. You don't need to be competing at the fanciest shows, bringing home blue ribbons every weekend, or jumping a certain height to enjoy horses, being outside, and spending time with your barn family. There's no right or wrong way to enjoy time with a horse. Hunt Club's goal is to provide the gear you need to get out there and make the most of your barn time (or adventure time!) each and every day, whatever that may look like." 

 

xx

-Sara