‘DWTS’ Star Bonner Bolton: Find Out About The Bull Rider’s Near-Fatal Fall

Yesterday the big cast of Dancing With the Stars was announced. One new cast member is Bonner Bolton, a professional bull rider. He actually had a near-fatal fall and is very lucky to be alive. People shared the details about what happened to Bonner. This is something that you will probably hear a lot about on the upcoming season of the show.

On the upcoming season of DWTS, Bonner will be with pro Sharna Burgess. Bonner is a real cowboy who actually grew up in Texas. His father was actually a rodeo cowboy for 20 years, so he came by it naturally. Bolton shared that growing up, his dad would always show him to do a job and teach him how. He said his dad was really patient with him. They got up every morning and fed the horses at 5:30 a.m. and he shared that they had to feed them before they even ate. Bonner spoke out about his dad.

“In my eyes, [my father] has always been the truest version of a cowboy in the sense of being honest, working hard, always keeping your word, treating women and animals with respect, trying to do the right thing, always. It’s a big pair of boots to fill — even though he’s a smaller man than me.”

Two years after going pro, Bonner Bolton won his first world title, and he was only 20 years old at the time. Three months after he came in fourth at the 2015 Professional Bull Riding World Finals, Bonner suffered a near-fatal accident. He was actually bucked off the back of a bull and landed on his head during the January 2016 season opener in Chicago. Now just about a year later, Bonner Bolton is ready to get on the dance floor. He actually knew that weekend that something big was going to happen, but didn’t realize that it was going to be what it was and that he would almost die. He suffered from a broken C-2 vertebrae. Bonner explained the way he felt when it happened.

“As soon as I hit the ground I knew what happened. [The fall] didn’t knock me out — I was totally conscious. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. Guys do die in the arena, and it all started flooding in. I [thought] I was about to be one of those guys. When I left the arena Sunday, I was paralyzed from the neck down. I am proud to say that my God performed a miracle and I am able to move my whole entire body now.”

Bonner is lucky to be alive. He has done some modeling and was even Scott Eastwood’s stunt double in the movie The Longest Ride, but this will be his first time on the dance floor like this, and he will be testing his abilities.

People shared that Bonner Bolton said he was speechless when he met his partner Sharna Burgess. They have chemistry for sure, and he said she “isn’t hard on the eyes.” They look like they are going to be a great match.

What do you think of Bonner Bolton on Dancing With the Stars? Do you think that he stands a chance of winning this season of the show? Sound off in the comments section below on your thoughts, and don’t miss watching Bonner on DWTS when it starts airing on March 20 on ABC.

[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Stuart Weitzman]