MTV
Grace Busch is one of William “Billy” Busch and Christi Busch’s seven children; together they are starring on MTV’s new reality show Busch Family Brewed, which will follow the exploits of the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch fame. Busch’s oldest child, Scarlett, from a previous relationship, will likely not be featured on the show, but his family with Christi will provide more than enough content for the reality show.
The show premieres Thursday, March 5, so in preparation for the two back-to-back debut episodes, here’s what you need to know about Grace.
1. Grace’s Family Is One of the Richest Families in America
The Anheuser-Busch brewery was founded in 1852 by Grace’s great-great-grandfather Adolphus Busch. His son would be the first August Busch, followed by August “Gussie” Jr., who is Grace’s grandfather. Her Uncle August was the third August and her cousin August was the fourth.
The family is worth a reported $13.4 billion as of 2016, making them the 18th richest family in America, according to Forbes.
In addition to the brewing company and its many subsidiaries, the Busch family also started Busch Entertainment Inc. (now called SeaWorld Parks Entertainment). The inaugural park was Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, and the company would go on to open Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California, and Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Closed locations include Busch Gardens parks in Pasadena and Los Angeles, California, and in Houston, Texas, and a SeaWorld park in Aurora, Ohio.
The family also owned the St. Louis Cardinals baseball franchise from 1953 to 1996.
2. Billy and Christi Busch Met While Training Animals on the Family’s Farm
William K. “Billy” Busch is the eighth of August Anheuser “Gussie” Busch Jr.’s 11 children from four different marriages.
Billy Sr. grew up working on his family’s 700-acre estate called Grant’s Farm, which features hundreds of animals on a wildlife preserve. According to Ladue News, in 1987, Billy was training two elephants named Bud and Mickey and noticed a woman training the monkeys. Her name was Christi and several years later, they would be married.
Billy and Christi have seven children, of which Grace, age 22, is the fifth. The kids range in age from 28 to 13. The adult children have all been involved in their father’s brewing company, the William K. Busch Brewing Co., which produced Kraftig lager from 2011 to 2019, when it shut down.
“It’s really a family beer business; I have my family who’s all-in with me,” Busch told Ladue News. “They love it, and if we can make a go of this, we can keep that Busch brewing tradition alive. It’s been well worth the effort and everything that it has cost.”
In 2016, Billy purchased Grant’s Farm from the family trust for $26 million, vowing to keep it as a free tourist attraction, according to the Denver Post. And according to Grace’s Instagram, Bud the elephant died in 2018.
3. Grace Goes to Ole Miss and Was a St. Louis Debutante
According to her Instagram profile, Grace started college at the University of Mississippi where she pledged Delta Gamma social sorority in the fall of 2016. Her Facebook profile lists her Ole Miss graduation date as 2020.
In a preview for the Busch Family Brewed, her family says Grace might be the hardest worker in the family.
“Grace, of course, is working hard in school. She’s going to a really highly academic college,” says father Billy, with her mom Christi adding, “She has a strong worth ethic, she has to get things done.”
In 2017, Grace took part in the annual St. Louis tradition called the Veiled Prophet Ball. It was founded in 1878 by the Veiled Prophet Organization, which was an organization of the most prominent St. Louis citizens. The annual dance features a the Veiled Prophet of Khorassan (whose identity is kept a secret) choosing a Court of Honor, made up of five debutantes, and then crowning a Queen of Love and Beauty from among those five. All the debutantes who participate are by invitation only.
Grace’s family has a long history with the ball. Her great-aunt Alice Busch was crowned queen in 1922, her third cousin Alice Busch Condie was crowned queen in 1964, and her aunt Gertrude Marie Busch was crowned queen in 1977.
4. She’s an Accomplished Equestrian
Grace’s mom reveals that Grace is an accomplished equestrian rider and her Instagram definitely shows off her skills in that department. She has posted pictures of herself competing in show jumping competitions that include the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix in Palm Beach, Florida, the Palm Beach Masters at Deeridge Farms, and the Longines Masters in New York, where she took third in two different competitions.
According to the Federation Equestre Internationale site, Grace rides horses named Fabries and Royal Landor, and on the Plaid Horse Magazine’s Facebook page, there is a photo of her riding Cassanova at the National Equestrian Center in St. Louis in 2015 when she was 17 years old.
Grace has also taken after her father and older brother Gussie by taking up polo. Both of them are accomplished polo players. But Grace also comes by her equestrian prowess by way of her mother, who looks like quite the rider back in the day.
5. Grace Loves to Dance, Snowboard and Go to the Beach
In a preview of the new reality show, Grace’s family members all say she is hands down the best dancer in the family. Both Grace and Christi agree that she gets her dancing talent from her mom.
“Grace is more like me, she likes to dance and have fun,” says Christi, with Grace adding, “I don’t mean to take all the credit, but … I just love to dance. I’ll dance anywhere, I don’t care. I get it from my mom. We’re always dancing together. We start the party.”
Grace’s Instagram is also full of photos of her enjoying both the hot sandy beaches and the cold winter slopes. On one trip to Greece, she posted a photo of herself overlooking the water and wrote, “Best place to watch the sunset if you can deal with the wind gods.”
The Busch Family Brewed airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
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