Bella Hadid Returns to Horseback Riding Roots as She Continues to Focus on Mental Health Amid Sobriety

Hadid retired from equestrian riding in 2016 after her Lyme disease forced her to take a break from the sport

Published on March 24, 2023 01:26 PM

Bella Hadid Shows Off Her Skills as She Returns to Competitive Horse Riding in Florida — Photo: TheImageDirect.com

Bella Hadid is getting back in the saddle once again.

The 26-year-old model was photographed returning to one of the things she loves to do — competing on horseback, days after she celebrated being 5 months sober in Las Vegas.

Hadid was snapped at an equestrian event in Florida in white pants, a black riding suit and boots with a matching horse riding helmet, as she led her horse around various obstacles.

The fashion industry superstar was captured smiling in several photos, looking like she enjoyed getting back to her horse riding roots as she competed.

Hadid is an expert equestrian rider, having done it for years and even aimed for the Olympics before giving up the sport in 2016 due to her symptoms with Lyme disease, per Bazaar.

"My devotion stemmed from my mom's love of horses. I have been riding since I could walk and the fact that my mom knew everything about horses really helped my passion grow," Hadid said in an interview with Porter in 2015.

She also said that the sport was helpful in her modeling career.

"You know how every model is like, 'I do yoga.' Well, I find horses have the same effect," she explained. "You have to put your ego aside and concentrate on making the horse do the things you want it to do, and move in the way you want it to move."

On Sunday, Hadid shared a TikTok giving a sneak peek at her alcohol-free trip to Las Vegas as she proclaimed she was "5 months alcohol free." The model jetted to the city to celebrate reaching the fifth month in her sobriety journey.

It's been a long journey for Hadid, who was previously arrested and charged with a DUI in 2014. In an interview with InStyle last year, she got candid about getting sober, explaining that it became "a lot harder to pick up the glass" after her doctor (and medical advisor for her non-alcoholic beverage brand Kin Euphorics) showed her the effects of alcohol on her brain.

Hadid became co-founder and partner of Kin in Sept. 2021 after finding that it helped with her anxiety, the brain fog from her Lyme disease, and the burnout from constant work and travel. The alcohol-free, botanical-infused seltzer brand claims to enhance focus and creativity.

"I have done my fair share of drinking," said Hadid. "I loved alcohol and it got to the point where even I started to, you know, cancel nights out that I felt like I wouldn't be able to control myself."