Wondering about Bella Hadid’s boyfriend? You’re far from alone. First came a cropped photo of the supermodel holding hands with a man at the rodeo; then a shot of them embracing while looking away from the camera; and then all those carousels of Hadid on ranches in Texas (a far cry from her normal haunts of New York City or Los Angeles).
Tabloids, including TMZ, quickly surmised that the man in question was rodeo star Adan Banuelos. But Hadid herself remained tight-lipped until Valentine’s Day, when she posted a picture of Banuelos on her Instagram story with the caption “My Valentine.” The following month, she attended the 2024 American Performance Horseman in Arlington, Texas, where she loudly cheered in the crowd for Banuelos; later, the two hugged lovingly in front of the cameras.
So who, exactly, is Banuelos, the man dating one of the most in-demand models in history? Below, find everything you need to know.
He’s a Cutting Horse Champion
Thirty-five-year-old Banuelos is a remarkably successful rodeo star and equestrian. His talent? Cutting—the rodeo competition in which a horse and rider must separate a cow from a herd of cattle. He was inducted into the National Cutting Horse Hall of Fame in 2017 and has made over seven million dollars in winnings.
He’s Been Riding Since Before He Was Born
Last year, Banuelos’s life and career were the subject of a short film called Horse Sense, which noted that his mother had continued to ride until she was seven months pregnant with him. “This has been a passion of mine since before I can remember,” he told W at the film’s premiere. “Without a doubt, there was never anything else that I was going to do.”
The same story noted that Banuelos and Hadid first met at a horse show, where both Banuelos and Joseph Jingoli, Hadid’s stepfather-to-be, were competing. (Jingoli and Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, have been engaged since 2022.)
