Descending from a line of proven producers, Mistys Dash Of Fame has earned her place in the record books as one of barrel racing’s all-time greatest broodmares.

In early 1996, two foals were born on Bob Burt’s Misty Mountain Ranch near Salt Lake City, Utah. The colt and filly born to a mother and daughter pair of broodmares were bred for the track, but instead would redefine barrel racing bloodlines for generations to come.

The colt, later gelded, was Fame Fox Kirk, an earner of $197,036 recorded by Equi-Stat, long before any rodeo money was kept or the advent of slot races. Annie Rose purchased the colt under the advisement of barrel racing trainer and clinician Ed Wright. Fame Fox Kirk was a futurity winner with Rose before going to the Wrights, while Rose recovered from ankle surgery. With Wright in the saddle, Fame Fox Kirk introduced the national barrel racing community to the genetic powers of Dash Ta Fame.

The filly, who suffered a near fatal injury while still at her mother’s side, is now Dash Ta Fame’s all-time leading producer — Mistys Dash Of Fame. With nine earners of nearly $1.3 million in the arena, Mistys Dash Of Fame’s winning offspring include a two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, an Old Fort Days Champion, and most recently the all-time leading futurity-earning stallion.

Producers Beget Producers

“Misty’s” story begins with Mamma Soul Kirk. The 1985 daughter of Dr Kirk, a stakes finalist by Easy Jet and out of a Thoroughbred mare, was out of Miss Filly Of Soul, a daughter of the Thoroughbred Truly Truckle.

Burt purchased Mamma Soul Kirk at a sale in Casper, Wyoming, from her breeders Shipwheel Ranch of Sheridan, Wyoming, as a yearling. She ran on the track, placing second in just five starts, earning $2,689.

“She made [the Wyoming Stallion Breeders Futurity] up there and then she got sick,” Burt said. “I had to quit her, basically. I tried her a couple times after that, but she had such a fever she nearly died. She could really run. Her whole family could really run. She has four or five full brothers and sisters that were stakes winners.”

Burt, who is always looking for the winning hybrid vigor from the right kind of Thoroughbred, paired Mamma Soul Kirk with Murrtheblurr. A multiple stakes winner who finished his racing career in the barn of D. Wayne Lucas, Murrtheblurr ran out $255,110 on the track, winning nine of 40 starts—10 of which came as a 2-year-old.

“I wanted the Thoroughbred outcross,” Burt said. “If you look at all the greatest racehorses that ran down the track, like Easy Jet, they’re out of a Thoroughbred mare.”

The result was her first foal—the 1990 mare Misty Blurr. The name Misty was a nod to Burt’s Misty Mountain Ranch. Misty Blurr ran on the track, starting seven times until she was 3 and earning $3,242.

Misty Blurr was also a stakes finalist and the fastest qualifier to a futurity, held at Pocatello Downs.

“The great Dashin Sandy had just come off of setting the track record in Casper, Wyoming,” Burt remembered. “They were in the same race, and Misty Blurr put her away.”

When the mare got sore on the track, Burt brought her home and put her in the broodmare band with her mother.

Ivy Conrado riding KN Fabs Gift of Fame a daughter of Mistys Dash Of Fame
In 2014, KN Fabs Gift Of Fame (“J-Lo”), also by Frenchmans Fabulous, debuted as a 5-year-old futurity horse, winning the Greg Olson Memorial Futurity and Slot Race, Better Barrel Races World Finals Futurity, the Barrel Of Gold Futurity and the Fizz Bomb Classic. J-Lo carried Ivy Conrado to the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, winning the average and reserve world championship in 2019. • Photo by Kenneth Springer

In 1995, Burt would breed both mares to his homebred stakes-winning stallion, Dash Ta Fame. The following spring, two foals were born that changed the face of barrel racing.

On February 16, 1996, Misty Blurr gave birth to her second foal, a filly named Mistys Dash Of Fame. Just over a month later, Mamma Soul Kirk gave birth to her last foal—Fame Fox Kirk.

Misty Blurr

While Mistys Dash Of Fame was trying to recover from a pelvic injury she received while being treated for a umbilical hernia, Misty Blurr was making her mark as a barrel horse producer with her Dash Ta Fame offspring.

All totaled, Misty Blurr gave birth to 13 foals, and seven accrued barrel racing earnings recorded by Equi-Stat. Even with a significant amount of rodeo money missing from the record, Misty Blurr produced earners of $277,463.

The first to the arena was Pat Spratt’s Misty Blurr Ta Fame, a 1998 gelding. A multiple futurity and derby finalist, Misty Blurr Ta Fame won the Sunrise Maturity and later placed at numerous professional rodeos for Equi-Stat earnings of $48,500.

At the same time Misty Blurr Ta Fame was making his debut as a 5-year-old futurity horse, his 4-year-old full brother, Soul Flame, was winning with Annie Rose. Soul Flame was the United Barrel Racing Association Futurity Champion and Gold Cup Futurity Reserve Champion before nearly making the National Finals Rodeo with Andrea Busby. Equi-Stat has Soul Flame’s earnings at $43,408 without any rodeo money included.

Brandon Cullins riding RR Mistakelly
Mistys Dash Of Fame had three futurity horses competing in 2018. The leader of the group was RR Mistakelly by Darkelly. His career earnings stand at $295,072 and he ranks a the all-time leading futurity-earning stallion with $275,680. • Photo by Kenneth Springer

Next down the alley was Dashing Mistafier, a 2001 gelding ridden by Lance Graves to the 2006 American Quarter Horse Association Junior Barrel Racing reserve championship. A multiple futurity finalist, Dashing Mistafier recorded Equi-Stat earnings of $36,140 during his career.

He was followed by Misty Blurr’s biggest winner, Sir Patrick Blurr, the 2005 Pro Tour Futurity—now BFA Super Stakes—Champion. Although much of his rodeo money is missing, Sir Patrick Blurr tabulated $129,158 in Equi-Stat. Misty Blurr’s other barrel horses include Southwest Desert Classic reserve futurity champion Dash Buttercup with earnings of $12,911; the open and senior jackpot earner of $5,049 Misty Mountain Blurr; and DTF Puddin Cake, who placed on the track, earning $2,180 and a speed index of 86, before earning $2,217 in the arena.

Mistys Dash Of Fame

The same time DTF Puddin Cake, Misty Blurr’s last foal, was closing out her legacy, her oldest daughter’s legacy as a producer was just beginning.

Although she had older foals, Mistys Dash Of Fame’s breakthrough crop hit the ground in 2008. Miss JB 0820, by Chasin Firewater, was a multiple futurity finalist, earning $13,981, in spite of a wither injury that made her prone to being sore under saddle.

The first superstar was KN Fabs Mist Of Fame, by Frenchmans Fabulous, with earnings of $150,083. KN Fabs Mist Of Fame won the 2012 Old Fort Days Futurity Championship with Jolene Montgomery and is a multiple pro rodeo and 1D winner.

In 2014, KN Fabs Gift Of Fame (“J-Lo”), also by Frenchmans Fabulous, debuted as a 5-year-old futurity horse,
winning the Greg Olson Memorial Futurity and Slot Race, Better Barrel Races World Finals Futurity, the Barrel Of Gold Futurity and the Fizz Bomb Classic. J-Lo carried Ivy Conrado to the 2017 and 2018 NFR, where they were the reserve average champions in 2017 and finished 8th in the average, earning $88,000, in 2018. J-Lo’s Equi-Stat career earnings stand at $554,361.

Another full sibling, KN Fabulous N Famous, a 2008 gelding, has earned $13,401 in the arena.

After J-Lo, who was born in 2009, Mistys Dash Of Fame didn’t have another living foal until 2013, when two embryos were pulled—a Chasin Firewater that’s now a broodmare and Famous Dallas Jazz by Dallas Fuel. A futurity finalist, Famous Dallas Jazz is also a pro rodeo winner with Equi-Stat earnings of $21,480.

Mistys Dash Of Fame had three futurity horses competing in 2018. The leader of the group was RR Mistakelly by Darkelly. Robin Weaver’s brown stallion kicked off his career with a Barrel Futurities of America Juvenile Futurity Championship before sweeping the Kinder Cup and LG International futurities and slot races and winning the Cornhusker and Ardmore futurities. His career earnings stand at $295,072 and he ranks as the all-time leading futurity-earning stallion with $275,680.

Andrea Busby’s Jets Heart N Soul, a gelding by Blazin Jetolena, earned $166,053 in his debut year with Jolene Montgomery. He was the Texas Ultimate Slot Race winner, a multiple futurity finalist and multiple 1D winner.

MrJBChasedByPaparazi, a stallion by Chasin Firewater, earned $35,632 as a multiple futurity finalist with Kassie Mowry.

Misty has six remaining foals yet to compete—a colt and filly by Chasin Firewater, a colt by The Money Depot, a filly by Dallas Fuel and two by Blazin Jetolena.

The youngest is a yearling by Blazin Jetolena, Misty Eyed Over Jet, owned by Jeff and Andrea Busby.

The Next Generation

Misty’s daughters are producing, too.

KN Fabs Mist Of Fame has two money-earners. Her 2014 Epic Leader daughter earned $3,856 in limited futurity action in 2018. Her 2015 Slick By Design colt, RR TooSlick Eye Mist, is well on his way to following through on his lineage, placing in the BFA SuperStakes, taking reserve in the BFA Juvenile and earning Future Fortunes bonus money, totaling $44,913 at his first competition.

Mistys Dash Of Fame’s oldest living daughter Mistys First Success is a producer as well. The daughter of Corona Caliente earned $2,222 in the arena herself before entering the broodmare band. Her current performer is the 2014 Frenchmans Fabulous mare KN Fabulous Stella, a futurity money earner of $1,183.

The Legacy

Now at the age of 22, Mistys Dash Of Fame is bedded deep, eating all the alfalfa she wants at Busby Quarter Horses in Millsap, Texas. Ironically, her son Soul Flame is the reason Jeff and Andrea Busby met.

“Pat Spratt’s Misty Blurr Ta Fame was the first one I ever saw,” Andrea said. “They used to have a little jackpot with the Casper (Wyoming) pro rodeo, and I saw her run that horse. I didn’t know what he was, but I wanted one. He was the first Dash Ta Fame I ever saw go.”

Andrea started her quest at Annie Rose’s, which led her to Soul Flame and Jeff.

“He just happened to be a full brother to one that Pat had,” Andrea said. “I wasn’t looking for one. It just happened that way.”

When Soul Flame’s career was cut short due to injury, Busby started looking for his mother.

“I found out she was gone, but there was a full sister,” Andrea said. “AQHA records led to Dee Braman. I asked her about buying an embryo, and that’s how we got Jets Heart N Soul. We bought one the next year and got a filly, and unfortunately, she kicked through the fence and got hurt. Sue Smith has her, and hopefully she stays sound and gets campaigned.”

The Busbys also got the Blazin Jetolena yearling out of Misty before getting a call from Braman in the fall of 2018.

“She knew that mare had a special place in my heart, and she offered her to me,” Andrea said.

Although she doesn’t know how many more embryos Misty can produce, or even if they can get any at all from her, she still has a special place at the ranch.

“I would be thrilled with any healthy baby,” Andrea said. “She’s a sweet, sweet mare. I’m in awe of her.”


This article was originally published in the February 2019 issue of BHN.

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