First Place:  3

Entry number: 487

Exhibitor: Shootingstar

State: TX

Sheep name/number: #3

Breed: Hampshire

Website: www.shootingstarshowlambs.com

In a rather challenging class that works itself into two pairs,  I like the added look, length and levelness of 3 in the top pair.  Without a doubt, I would like to see him straighter from his hock to the ground in the rear photo, however with improved showmanship, maturity and proper hoof trimming, this deviation is easily fixed.  In comparison to the ewe lamb in the top pair, he ties a longer neck more correctly into the top of a smoother, cleaner shoulder.  He is longer sided and due to his longer leveler dock, should rail a carcass with a longer hindsaddle.  In addition he has more plumpness and turn to the lower inside portion of his leg.

Second Place:  1

Entry number: 293

Exhibitor: 2TLivestock

State: NE

Sheep name/number: 224

Breed: Suffolk

The ewe lamb is certainly wider based and heavier constructed, unfortunately, she is shorter coupled, shorter hipped and less descript in her muscle.  Still, as the other level hipped individual, I can use this, plus her added width to place her over 2 in the middle pair.  She is a wider topped lamb that is flatter and fuller over her loin and progressively widens from front to rear, and should simply mature out to be a thicker ewe that should rail more pounds of product if harvested.

Third Place:  2

Entry number: 477

I wish we had a rear photo that shows the shoulder and rack region on 2, and admit he is a shapely, expressively muscled lamb.  Yet, he is off in his dock,  and appears to be stale in his appearance and somewhat loose pelted.  He still has more club lamb look from the side, is taller fronted and more expressively muscled than 4 in the concluding pair.  In addition his added length of neck and extension of front allows me to believe he will be a later maturing higher performing lamb during the feeding phase.

Fourth Place:  4

Entry number: 496

I’ll be the first to admit that 4 is a wide based thick topped wether.  Unfortunately, the smokey appearing wether is the poorest balanced, least eye appealing lamb in class, that gets round out of his dock, is shallow twisted and flat through the lower 1/3 of his leg.

With a lot of give and take among the pairs on this class, the final placing is 3, 1, 2, 4 with cuts of 2, 3, 2.