First Place:  1

Entry number:  176

Exhibitor:  2TLivestock

State:  NE

Sheep name/number:  Tater Tot

Breed:  Suffolk/Hampshire

The easiest thing to do with this class is start the 1 ewe.  She is without a doubt the most complete, highest quality show lamb of the four.  Compared to the ideal, she needs to be longer necked and leveler out of her dock, however the advantages of balance and eye appeal allows me to sort her over 3.  She is smoother at the point of her shoulder, ties neater from her shoulder to her rib, and appears to be more parallel in her lines.  More importantly she is more ideal in the amount of condition she carries indicated by the added smoothness down her top and throughout her skeleton. To top this she is fuller and plumper through the center of her leg as well.

Second Place:  3

Entry number:  325

Exhibitor:  Blondie

State:  UT

Sheep name/number:  Dopey

Breed:  Suffolk/Hampshire

I'll be the first to admit 3 is stouter constructed and longer sided.  Still he is slightly too coarse through his front and drops out of his dock too much for me to start the class with him.

Yet there is a major advantage in power, muscle, and stoutness of bone when compared to the concluding duo. He has a much squarer shape to his rack and loin, and is bolder legged and deeper twisted. 3 also is wider in his pin set, consequently adding to the mass and added dimension through his hip.

Third Place:  4

Entry number:  334

4 gets the nod in a bottom pair of wethers that both need more muscle.  Primarily he places over 2 based on finish alone.  Here is a lamb that spreads wider over his top, is leveler out of his dock and is simply more market ready. From a carcass standpoint he would easily out-cut 2.

Fourth Place:  2

Entry number:  250

I could just as easily place 2 over 4 in the bottom, as he is the longest patterned sheep in class that appears to be much later maturing and have the ability to grow and maintain himself to heavier weights.  Still, this does not compensate for the fact that he is extremely green in his condition, appears much lighter muscled and needs to fill in through his upper dock.

Therefore I like the class 1, 3, 4, 2  with cuts of 3, 6, 2.  Good Luck, hopefully you got these paired up and did not take the big hit in the middle.