Andrea Busby’s Jets Top Gun has proven himself with multiple jockeys and at every level of barrel racing competition, and the gelding hit a career milestone at his second NFR appearance just as the curtain fell on the tenth round of competition.
“I’m starting to think he’s not even real anymore,” Busby said. “That horse is just incredible.”
Busby closed out her first National Finals rodeo breaking the NFR aggregate record inside the Thomas & Mack on 10 runs in 136.18 seconds, placing in nine out of 10 rounds, earning the $86,391 aggregate check and total earnings of $227,879.
Jets Top Gun was bred by and is owned by Busby Quarter Horses. His sire is the legendary Blazin Jetolena, the late stallion that represents the cornerstone of the Busby program. His dam, GL Famous First Lady is by Dash Ta Fame.
“This award, me being here, it’s this horse. He’s as good as they come. Anybody who’s been on him has won on him at the highest level. I don’t know that there’s very many horses in the world that could do that. He’s just a once in a lifetime horse.”
Andrea Busby
In 2020, “Benny,” cracked out beneath Janna Beam Brown and earned $183,760 with the decorated trainer in his futurity season as a 5-year-old. In his first derby year, Beam went on to win an additional $114,876, with a clutch $43,000+ week at the Pink Buckle race helping along the way.
Beam went on to The American Semifinals—what is now known as The American Rodeo Contender Finals—in 2022, plus kicked off the gelding’s rodeo career, winning nearly $4,000 at Odessa’s Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo and placing at a handful of others.
From there, Busby took the reins for the remainder of the season, and the gelding’s 2022 recorded Equistat earnings shook out to $32,222.
While those at the heart of the industry were already well aware of the gelding’s ability, the mainstream fans learned all about Benny during his dominating 2023 ProRodeo run with Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, where he played a key role in solidifying Tonozzi’s third gold buckle and shattering the season earnings record. On the year, Benny came out with $468,255 in earnings.
In 2024, Benny was responsible for $60,808 of Busby’s $115,838 in regular season earnings prior to 2024 NFR, and the duo went on to win a total of $227,879 in Las Vegas safely rolling Benny above the $1 million in lifetime earnings mark (His Equistat and QData reports showed $859,923 and $863,806 won prior to NFR, respectively.”
For Busby’s, who also bred Blingolena, the red gelding Carlee Otero amassed $261,441 aboard in the 2024 ProRodeo season, $148,552 of which was won in Las Vegas, it was a triumphant week across the board at the 2024 NFR. A third Blazin Jetolena offspring, Blazin Boss competed with Leslie Smalygo during the week, as well.
“It’s more humbling than anything,” Busby said. “I felt like Blazin Jetolena took us on a magic carpet ride I never even dreamed we’d go on. I said it before and I’ll say it again, Blazin Jetolena legitimately changed the course of my life, and not many people get to say a horse did that.”
See the previous aggregate record, and more NFR records here.
