by: Bee Delores
Last Updated: December 17, 2024
7 min read
7 min read
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The famous beauty Bella Hadid recently reached a big goal outside of fashion.
Winner of the National Cutting Horse Association’s (NCHA) 2024 Limited Age Event (LAE) Rookie of the Year award, the 28-year-old showed how versatile and passionate she is about Western-style equestrian sports.
She was determined to win, and her love for horses, which she has had since her youth, clearly showed.
Keep reading to know more details.
Bella Hadid’s drive from the Vogue fashion runways to the arenas of Western equestrian sports is genuinely inspiring.
Bella is famous worldwide for her work in fashion, but in 2023, she chose to try something new by moving to Texas to follow her love for horseback riding.
She has loved horses since childhood, and being close to them has always made her happy and calm.
When Bella was just a year old, the NCHA gave her the prestigious Rookie of the Year award in December 2024.
She wrote emotional Instagram posts about how happy she was with her progress and how much her famous horse and trainer boyfriend, Adan Banuelos , had helped her.
“ Adan always believed in me from the first day we rode together,” Bella said. “That made me trust and believe in myself again.” It wasn’t easy for her to win.
Over the past year, Bella participated in many shows, dealing with demanding riders like her fierce rival, Kevin Smith.
Bella won $84,748.87 and the title at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity Limited Amateur Reserve Champion event on her horse Metallic Hardball. She did this by working hard and not giving up.
Additionally, her boyfriend’s family, the Banuelos, were invaluable and supportive along her trip, which was a big part of her success.
Adan Banuelos, Bella’s boyfriend, has been a big part of her story. He is a skilled cowboy and the youngest person inducted into the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame.
In 2023, they were seen together at events in Fort Worth, Texas, showing that they were dating. Bella often says that Adan inspired her and taught her all the complicated rules of cutting horse games.
She said, “Anything is possible with hard work, kindness, and passion,” emphasizing Adan’s support made her feel more substantial.
In addition to being Bella’s boyfriend, the Banuelos family became very important to her horseback riding journey .
The people there accepted her with open arms and gave her the tools and advice she needed to do well in the sport .
Through an emotional Instagram post, Bella thanked Adan’s family, writing, “Thank you for making me feel so loved, safe, and encouraged.” Yolanda Hadid, Bella’s mother, was also a part of her party.
She was on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and is now engaged to Joseph Jingoli. They were at Bella’s events to support her.
The model-turned-cowgirl shared happy times with her family and friends and said having them there made her win even more special.
The events for cutting horses are both challenging and fun. Bella herself said it was “the most humble sport in the world.”
Even though Bella was new to the field, her desire to do well kept her going, even when things went wrong. She talked about how each loss taught her something important, which made the wins even better.
Adan took Bella on her first ride on Chapo, a cutting horse, a year and eight months ago. It was one of the best times of her life.
From her first ride to winning Rookie of the Year, Bella kept track of her progress and let fans see the good and bad parts of her trip.
She wrote in one of her posts that being thankful is essential, even when you lose: “ Adan taught me to be thankful for the losses because they make the wins that much better.”
She had to work hard on her trip by practicing for long hours, getting little sleep, and doing a lot of shows.
Bella stayed grounded because she loved horses and believed that they loved and connected with people no matter what.
She was always thankful for the animals that helped her succeed. “I thank God daily for horses for teaching and showing me unconditional love, happiness, patience, and hard work,” she said.
Bella Hadid’s win wasn’t just about getting a title; it was a celebration of how hard she worked and how strong she was.
She celebrated by posting pictures and videos on Instagram of herself wearing clothes inspired by Western fashion and showing off her new way of life.
From a black cowboy hat and fringed jacket to suede chaps, Bella’s style showed how she was becoming more like a cowgirl.
Along with Adan and her mother, she happily posed with her silver buckle, which was a sign of her success.
There were also pictures of her having fun with her horse, Metallic Hardball, which showed how close she was to the animal.
Another great thing about her was how she showed up in the stands with a dog on her lap and a trendy Chrome Hearts bag by her side, combining her old love of fashion with her new love of sports.
The equestrian community also paid attention to Bella’s trip, and Adan wrote a touching Instagram post about her.
Fans were happy for her and praised her toughness and love for the sport. Bella’s win shows that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and go where no one has before.
Aspect | Details |
---|---|
Achievement | Rookie of the Year, NCHA 2024 |
Boyfriend & Coach | Adan Banuelos, cutting champion |
Earnings in 2024 | $84,748.87 |
Competition Milestone | Reserve Champion at Futurity |
Start of Journey | First rodeo ride: April 2023 |
Lover of hiking, biking, horror movies, cats and camping. Writer at Wide Open Country, Holler and Nashville Gab.
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