Every weekday leading up to the big premiere we’ll be putting the spotlight on one of the Season 24 couples by introducing the celebrity to readers who may not be familiar with their work and sharing our personal thoughts on the pairing!
It’s time for another spotlight of the day, and this one is on bullrider and model Bonner Bolton!
Bonner was born in Texas on June 1, 1987, and has been bullriding for a good portion of his life. (He even went to college on bullriding scholarships!) Some of his achievements in this field include the 2007 CBR World Championship, 2011 CBR Las Vegas Championship, and 2013 CBR Hobbs Championship.
At the beginning of 2016, Bonner suffered an accident during a ride, resulting in a splintered C-2 vertebra and (what turned out to be temporary) paralyzation. He was initially told he would never walk again, but he miraculously managed to recover and signed a contract to work with IMG Models soon after.
Bonner’s Dancing With the Stars partner is Sharna Burgess, who grew up in Australia and joined the show back in 2012. After being part of the troupe for two seasons, Sharna became a pro in Season 16 and is now starting her ninth season with a celebrity partner.
Some highlights from Sharna’s time on DWTS include…
@TheBentleyNinja: I can’t really get much of a good read on Bolton, so by the time premiere night happens, I’m going to be in for a wild ride. . . a wild bull ride, that is. Y’know, I’m not much of a fan of people using bulls like that as entertainment, but to each their own, I guess. Bonner doesn’t seem to be too famous (I mean, he only has about four thousand followers on a verified Twitter account after his reveal on Good Morning America), but then again, that’s not too uncommon on this show. Average people live Noah Galloway and Alek Skarlatos have made it to the finals purely based off of their progress on the show and their amazing backstories, and I can already tell that Bonner will have an incredible story to tell for Most Memorable Year Night from when he broke his neck that will probably win the audience over if he hadn’t gotten won over already by then.
I don’t think there is much to argue against the fact that Sharna is an amazing professional dancer and always has her partners’ needs in mind as a priority, so no matter who dances with her, she is always going to be a good partner to have. I see quite a bit of potential with these two together in terms of both connection and dancing ability. I have a feeling that Bonner might be a little bit stiff at first, but I know that Sharna can fix things like that in a just a couple of weeks. I think Bonner might have an advantage physically because he seems to have the strength to be able to do some extraordinary things, but he also looks like he will be able to endure more in dances such as the Quickstep and the Jive because his strength is more focused in his biceps while he has what looks to be more flexibility in his core. And that can go a long way.
I have no doubt that Bonner has the potential to get some good scores, but as I have said before, the votes are really going to matter this season. But who knows? He might just surprise me like James Hinchcliffe…
@juliadelbel: So far Bonner isn’t really standing out in any interviews or rehearsal footage, and is probably the least well-known person in the cast. However, I think his story and possible showmance with Sharna will probably get him some votes, along with the fact that he’s a country boy and that a lot of people are hungry for a Sharna win. Bonner not being a ringer should help too since there are a lot of those this season and a good portion of the audience that inherently doesn’t root for people with a lot of dance experience. The main thing that might work against them is the fact that Bonner is a bullrider, and there is a lot of controversy surrounding that type of sport. Will the sweet old ladies in the main demographic of this show get behind a regular participant in an activity that is often harmful to animals? I think some might be turned off by it, but the other assets I mentioned might be enough to make up for it.
This team seems to be getting along quite nicely so far and already have so much going for them that I would not be surprised to see them in the finals or even winning. In fact, there’s a very strong chance they will be my winner pick, but I’m not going to lock that in until closer to the premiere.
@dwtsdreams: Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess are a match made in dancing heaven according to some dwts super fans. As a result of their insane chemistry , the producers are going to eat up their showmance. The producers logic is: they are both single, both cute, good chemistry= showmance. I watched their ET interview today and their chemistry was through the roof.
Bonner is athletic, has a great story, a cowboy personality, and GQ called him “ America’s Favorite Cowboy.” Bonner has the whole package and with Sharna’s help I think they can be a kick- ass team. Bonner does seem a tad bit shy but I think he will open up with Sharna as his partner. I am very excited to see where this partnership goes.
I love Sharna to death and I believe that she is very hungry to win. Bonner seems super pumped to dance with Sharna and is eager to learn. I think Sharna will do everything in her power to get Bonner to the finals and I think that is a capable plan.
I love Sharna to death and I believe that she is very hungry to win. Bonner seems super pumped to dance with Sharna and is eager to learn. I think Sharna will do everything in her power to get Bonner to the finals and I think that is a capable plan.
TOMORROW: Will this team skate their way to victory, or are they on thin ice?
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