Bella Hadid has a new beau. The model has all but defected from her Pennsylvania farm to Texas to spend time with Adan Banuelos, a professional horseback rider (in the cowboy way, not the dressage way). Yes, not only is she one of the most beautiful women in the world, but Hadid is also living out your fantasy of leaving it all behind for love and horses. Well, she hasn’t left it all behind, but Banuelos has had a big effect on her, it seems. She’s competing in equestrian competitions, wearing cowboy hats, and sharing more photos of horses than usual. So what’s the deal with this guy who has Bella Hadid cheesing big time? Let’s find out.
Who is Adan Banuelos?
Banuelos is a professional equestrian from Texas who specializes in “cutting horses,” which is a special style of competition horse that’s been bred and trained to separate one cow from its herd. According to his website, he’s 34 and has “amassed over five million dollars in earnings aboard a horse.” Impressive!
Banuelos comes from a family of riders: His father, Ascencion, is a member of the National Cutting Horse Association Rider Hall of Fame. Back in 2015, Adan spoke about his father to the Amarillo Globe-News. “When times were bad, he’s the first one to say, ‘You know, it’s OK,’” Banuelos said. “He’s also what I would call a true horseman.” (If you want more info about Ascencion, he has a documentary available to Horse.tv subscribers.) To recap, Banuelos is handsome, he’s successful, and he has a good relationship with his dad. Bella’s winning.
When did he start dating Bella?
We don’t know for sure, but the pair were spotted for the first time last October. TMZ caught the couple smooching at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, part of the city preserved to celebrate the city’s history as a livestock center. Something about these two is that they are not afraid to share a kiss in a place that might smell weird.
Since October, Hadid seems to have spent most of her time in Texas. Back in January, she even competed in a cutting-horse competition of her own in Weatherford, Texas. She came in a very respectable eighth place. If you follow the model on Instagram, you know that she has been posting a lot about her new equestrian side hustle.
Has she hard launched him?
Yeah, basically. In a carousel post from February documenting Hadid’s 27th birthday (which was in October), she included a video of her and Banuelos going in for a kiss at the dinner table. The dinner table, yes, was set up in the middle of a stable. I told you, if these two are gonna do one thing, it’s smooch in a venue that smells like horse. I also have some questions about the safety of setting up a buffet in a stable, but those will have to remain unanswered.
So he’s good at his job?
From what I can tell, he’s, like, really good at his job. A big title on his website not-so-humbly declares, “A prodigy goes pro.” But who needs humility when you have talent to back it up? Last year, he took home the championship at the American Performance Horseman (that’s a big equestrian competition). He recently defended that title, riding a horse named Storyteler (yes, one L) to another win and a cool $100,000 check.
What has he said about her?
Banuelos recently appeared on the Along for the Ride podcast, where he gushed about Hadid. He revealed that the model was more than game to sleep in his fifth-wheel trailer at the beginning of their relationship. “It was badass,” he said. “That fifth wheel has always felt small and then you get, you know, somebody that you enjoy spending time with, and that fifth wheel went from a fifth wheel to a fucking mansion.”
Apparently Hadid fits right in with his cowboy lifestyle. Banuelos said that Hadid will wake up at 2:30 a.m. just to make breakfast for everyone on competitions days. “Being that consistent and that uplifting and positive and warm to everybody she meets and helping with horses and stuff like that, it’s just freaking amazing,” he said.
“Man, I can’t tell you how happy I am,” Banuelos said. “I can’t tell you how fortunate I am … This young lady is one of the kindest, biggest-hearted, and sweet person I’ve [ever met]. I mean, I didn’t know God made ’em like that.” What a great reminder to never settle.
Do we like this?
Yes! These two are cute as hell, Hadid is spending her time volunteering with equine therapy organizations, and he probably doesn’t even know what Aimé Leon Dore is — this is a situation people dream about. She should consider selling her story to Hallmark. I would watch a movie about a stunning supermodel leaving the big city behind and finding love at the rodeo. You could call it From Catwalk to Cowboy. Just an idea.
This post has been updated.