By Derek Thompson | The Selma Times-Journal

Dallas County’s Josh Jeter has worked his way into the top-20 at the 67th annual National High School Finals Rodeo after an alarming bull-riding accident.

Josh was spun around and stepped on by a bull at a competition in Shawnee, Okla. last Friday, and spent the night in the hospital because air built up in spaces it’s not supposed to around his lungs and heart.

Four days after the accident, Josh was feeling better and back on a bull at the NHSFR at Rock Springs, Wyo.

The senior at Dallas County High School won his performance with a score of 70 and tied for 10th place in Tuesday’s Bull Riding Go-Round One.

“My injury wasn’t really bad after that,” Josh said.

“It’s gotten a lot better actually. After Tuesday I was going to sports medicine twice a day, but I’m just resting now.”

Josh and his brother, Jacob Jeter, earned positions on the Alabama National High School rodeo team to compete in the NHSFR, which features more than 1,500 contestants from 42 states, five Canadian Provinces and Australia.

Jacob competed in the NHSFR NRA Light Rifle competition on the Green River shooting range Tuesday, but did not place.

The sophomore shot a score of 75 in the prone, 48 in the standing, 58 in the kneeling for a total score of 181.

Josh tied for 12th in the bull riding round one with a score of 70 and tied for 16th in riding average Wednesday. He tied for 17th and 18th in both of his performances Thursday after another scare when he was bucked off one of his rides.

After the top-20 riders advance to Saturday evening’s final round of the bull riding competition, national champions will be determined based on the riders’ three-round combined times/scores.

The Valley Grande native currently sits in 17th place overall and has three more performances left if he makes it to the final round Saturday. In order to make it to the short-go, Josh said nobody competing Friday can score over a 70.

“I’ll hopefully make it back to short-go Saturday and ride my short-go bull, then get there and make at least top-five or four,” Josh said.