Beautiful Lies adds Summer Spectacular Championship to Fairy Tale Year for Jessica Banuelos Feiner
Jessica Banuelos Feiner had a hard time finding the words to describe her win after marking a huge 227 in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Summer Cutting Spectacular 4-Year-Old Non Pro on Beautiful Lies. It’s the highest score Feiner has ever marked in the Will Rogers Coliseum, and to make the win even sweeter, it’s the first she’s had as a new mother.
“First off, today just feels like a dream,” Feiner said. “I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but a 227 is the highest score I’ve ever marked in this pen, and Beautiful Lies made that possible. She is just the most incredible horse you could ever imagine, she’s the whole package she loves cows and loves her job.”
Beautiful Lies (Hottish x Suen You Will See x Boon Too Suen) was bred by Ken Sutton and purchased later by Feiner of SMF Cutting Horses. She boasts a show record of $142,297 as a five-year-old, featuring two wins at Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association (PCCHA) events with Feiner’s brother Adan Banuelos aboard. Lovingly called Xena, Banuelos has described the horse as a humming bird, due to her athletic ability in the show pen.
Beautiful Lies and Jessica Banuelos Feiner. * Photo by Amy Olson
“I can’t think of a more fitting word, she’s just underneath you and you feel her vibrating every time the cow lunges,” Feiner said.
Though Banuelos rides her in the open classes, Feiner said she doesn’t have to do anything different to get the horse shown.
“Walking to the herd on her just gives me so much confidence that I have this sense of calmness when we pass the timeline. So the only thing that I try to do is just stay out of her way.”
A Family AffairFeiner is surrounded by family every time she enters the show pen. Banuelos helps her in the herd, along with brother-in-law Jesse Lennox, and her father Ascencion Banuelos turns back with the help of Grant Setnicka. She said the team, largely comprised of her relatives, makes her feel unstoppable in the show pen.
Jessica Banuelos Feiner shares a hug with brother, Adan Banuelos, after hearing her score of 227. * Photo by Amy Olson
Her husband Steven also shows, and this year, they added baby Seven Feiner to the family.
“This is the best year of my life, my son Seven Feiner is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me, I love him in ways that I didn’t think possible. And my husband Steven, I’m seeing a whole new side of him as a dad that makes me love him even more,” Feiner said. ” I just don’t know what to say except this is literally the best year of my entire life, he made everything better and he’s been our little good luck charm this year.”
Feiner wanted to thank her husband, turnback crew, Kaitlin Baher and the whole Adan Banuelos Performance Horses team for all of their support and for keeping things running smoothly back at the barn.
“I just have the best family in the world and the best support system,” Feiner said.
Reserve ChampEJ Huntley marked a 222.5 on Dirrty Shirley (Hashtags x San Tule San Doc x San Tule Freckles) to take home the reserve championship and a check for $15,313. Dirrty Shirley was bred by Leslie Shaw and is now owned by Huntley.