First Place:  2

Entry number:  458

Exhibitor:  Suffolkclover

State:  MI

Sheep name/number:  9010

Breed:  Hampshire

Website:  www.jsclublambs.bravehost.com

2 dominates her peers in regards to rib design and muscle.  She is easily the high volume stout constructed ewe in class.  In the rear photo, I would like to see her set with more clearance at her hocks and as a result she would appear wider through her center and upper dock.  Still as we compare her to 1 she has a more productive look to her rib as she is relatively shallow chested and is dropped lower in her mid-rib and deeper flanked.  In addition she is bolder racked, fuller loined and in reality probably has a larger leg score.  As a bonus, she is the biggest boned most broody appearing in class and should have the greatest presence in the ring as a breeding ewe or market lamb alike.

Second Place:  1

Entry number:  413

Exhibitor:  CrazySuey

State:  CA

Sheep name/number:

Breed:  Hampshire X

Website:  http://candsmediumlivestock.tripod.com

Some may prefer the length and elegance of 1 and added flare through her lower leg, however, she needs more shape and dimension down her top, and due to her not driving off of her left rear in the profile, she appears somewhat deep fronted in relation to her depth of flank.  With these faults aside, it is her advantages in structure that place her over 3 in a closer middle pair.  1 is simply a smoother shouldered ewe that is thinner and more refined about her neck, and neater tucked in her breast plate.  Most importantly what separates the duo is the added width of 1 when viewed from the rear.  She starts more open in her pin set and is consequently fuller in her upper dock, as well she better maintains this width advantage through her hocks and down to the ground. 

Third Place:  3

Entry number:  463

2 is the most expressively muscled ewe in class that is carrying more condition than 1, but in reality is the least structurally correct of the top 3 and already at a disadvantage due to how round she is off both ends of her skeleton.  Still I can use her added length and extension of front and smoother fuller topline to place her over 4 in our bottom pair of contrasting prospects.  2 is simply longer and smoother blending in her shoulder and neck as well as from blade to dock.  At this point 2 is just more eye appealing and showing more bloom than 4.

Fourth Place:  4

Entry number:  448

Without a doubt, is the biggest hipped ewe with more width through her stifle, and originally the ewe I had in second.  However the more I study her profile photo (realizing she is squatting), I question her depth of front and the ability for her to smooth though her hip loin juncture as she matures.  She is by far the lightest conditioned ewe that with more time on feed may make the best market lamb of the four.   

Again my preferred alignment of these prospect ewes is 2, 1, 3, 4 with cuts of 3, 2, 2. 

Nice class that is tough to sort, exhibitors.  Me being somewhat of a gambler that likes to buy them green and bet on the come, would probably put 4 in the feeding pen before 1 or 3.  However in trying to teach young people how to judge them in the photos we are presented in this contest and if judging them today, the 1 and 3 probably have fewer visual faults and deserve the higher places with the lowest cuts you see from old “westtex”.