After winning the sixth and ninth rounds at the 2008 National Finals Steer Roping in Hobbs, N.M., Scott Snedecor still did not know his fate until reigning world champion Trevor Brazile missed his 10th round steer-clinching the title for the Uvalde, Texas, cowboy

Brazile knew if he won the 10th round and the average he would have a shot at the title-in fact, if Brazile had won the round and the average while Snedecor remained sixth in the average standings, then Brazile would have claimed his third consecutive title at the Lea County Events Center by $65.84.

“I let other people do all the thinking about the final-round scenarios,” Snedecor, who also missed his 10th round steer said. “I just went out to try to win the round. I figured if I did that, I’d be O.K.”

Snedecor won $28,290 in Hobbs and ended up with $90,185, the third-highest single-season earnings total in steer roping history, while Brazile was second at $83,424 and Vin Fisher Jr. of Andrews, Texas, was a distant third at $55,259. Brazile, however, won $40,192, the most money at the 50th annual NFSR.

The NFSR average title went to 48-year-old J.D. Yates, who was the only competitor to rope all 10 steers after Brazile and two-time average champion Rocky Patterson both missed on their final attempts. Yates had a total time of 148.20 seconds.

“Ninety-nine times out of a 100, both those guys rope that 10th steer,” Yates said. “I sure didn’t think it was going to turn out that way. When I finished my run, I was feeling plenty satisfied to be third.”

The Shaun Burchett Award for the fastest run of the competition went to Vin Fisher Jr. with his time of 9.30 seconds in the final round.