Bonner Bolton Was 'Speechless' When He Met His 'DWTS' Pro Sharna Burgess: 'She's Not Hard on the Eyes!'

Burgess told PEOPLE she was "instantly" excited to work with the professional bull rider and model

Published on March 1, 2017 01:40 PM

Giddy up, Dancing with the Stars fans!

Ahead of the show’s season 24 premiere, PEOPLE caught up with contestant and professional bull rider/model Bonner Bolton and his dance pro Sharna Burgess — and let’s just say the chemistry is pretty undeniable.

For starters, their introduction was straight out of a movie: The two first met at Bolton’s family ranch in Texas.

“I showed up in skinny jeans and Louboutins and was very unprepared for the situation I was in,” Burgess, 31, told PEOPLE after the cast reveal in New York City. “All of a sudden, Bonner is walking towards me with his horse and his cowboy hat down — I couldn’t see his face. I was like: ‘Okay, where am I?!’ It was sunset — it looked amazing.”

“I looked up and saw her and I was a little bit speechless, I have to say,” confessed Bolton, 29. “Obviously, everyone is telling me how great of a partner I have, but I think it’s pretty easy to see — she’s not hard on the eyes!”

“He came up and introduced himself and told me he was a bull rider and told me a little about his story,” recalled Burgess. “Instantly I was excited to work with him and be able to tell his story, which is one of my favorite things to do on the show.”

“I’m excited about this one,” she added.

So who are these two worried up about going up against?

“There’s a lot of talent in this cast and there’s a lot of big personalities, too,” said Burgess. “So it’s really hard to tell.”

“I’m thinking Mr. T! He brings that punch,” said Bolton. “And Charo. You can’t beat her personality. That woman is full of energy.”

And last but not least, will Bolton be hitting the dance floor with his signature cowboy hat?

“I think they’ll probably play with me having it on and not having it on,” he said. “It does come off, believe it or not — it’s not glued on!”

Dancing with the Stars season 24 premieres March 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.