First Place:  4

Entry number: 518

Exhibitor: Shootingstar

State: TX

Sheep name/number: 09 #5 wether

Breed: Hampshire X

Website: www.shootingstarshowlambs.com

We used the green ear tagged wether to start the class as he is the combination lamb when you consider muscle, balance and structural correctness.  While we recognize he is not the biggest legged lamb in the class and would prefer that 4 be fuller through his dock we still used him over 2 in our top pair.  4 is the nicest profiling lamb that has the advantage in his rib shape that is trimmer through his lower third, making him more parallel in his lines.  He too is being shown better with his head and neck being positioned at a 90 degree angle, giving him a better look from the side. In addition as we study him he appears to tie better through his hip loin junction.  As a minor separation, 4 appears to also be the nicer pelted lamb that is freer from multi directional wool patterns.

Second Place:  2

Entry number: 392

Exhibitor: whitewether1518

State: NC

Sheep name/number: Dora

Breed: Hampshire X

Granted 2 is the biggest legged lamb in the class, however we still faulted her and placed her second as she is deeper in her rib and washed out in her loin.

Despite these criticisms, we used the only ewe lamb over 1 in our middle pair.  2 is heavier muscled as she has more natural thickness down her top and is more dimensional through her leg.  She too is being shown with an advantage of not having a roach in her top giving her a prettier pattern to study from the side.

Third Place:  1

Entry number: 473

We admit 1 does have some muscle and appears to tie better in through his loin. Yet we faulted him and place him third as he is roached in his loin and plainer in his muscle shape.

Even so, we still used the black speckled wether over the long fleeced wether in our bottom pair.  1 is a stouter boned wether that is nicer balanced, being smoother shouldered and is cleaner about his chest floor.

Fourth Place:  3

Entry number: 493

We agree that 3 is longer bodied, however we got critical of him as he is finer boned, deep in his chest and is rounder in his tailhead.

Therefore we placed this class 4, 2, 1, 3 with cuts of 2, 2, 4.