First Place:  4

Entry number: 585
Exhibitor: Pbclublambs
State: CA
Sheep name/number: 506
Breed: Hampshire

We started with the stoutest, squarest and most correctly made buck lamb to win the class.  Ideally, he could be longer bodied, but given the fact he is one of the younger ones in the class he seems to get outsized.

Nevertheless, we chose him over 3 in the top pair of the two heavier muscled ram lambs.  When you compare 4 to 3 he is the stouter, heavier boned lamb that has the advantage in his top shape and skeletal width.  He too is nicer balanced, as he ties better from his neck to his shoulder, is fuller through his loin and is deeper through his rear flank.

Second Place:  3

Entry number: 529
Exhibitor: dtstonestreet
State: MD
Sheep name/number: Midnight Smoke
Breed: Suffolk

We admit the blue lamb appears longer bodied and is further in his development, making him the largest testicled of the four.  Yet we faulted him and placed him second as he is finer boned, narrower down his top, u-necked and cuts up in his rear rib and flank.

However, as we study the middle pair of the two longer bodied, Suffolk appearing lambs we easily chose 3 over the mottled colored lamb.  The difference is sheer muscle mass and shape.  When you compare these two from the rear, 3 has more width and expression of muscle down his top, out through his hip and carries into a much more dimensional leg.  He also is more structurally sound, having a stronger and more correct set to his pasterns.

Third Place:  2

Entry number: 515

We did appreciate 2 for being slightly longer and leveler hipped than 3 yet we criticized him and placed him third as he is flat and plain in his muscle shape, coupled with the fact that he is weaker on his pasterns.

Despite these criticisms, we used 2 over the thinnest lamb in our bottom pair.  2 is the better profiling lamb that is smoother about his shoulder, leveler down his top and out through his dock.

Fourth Place:  1

We definitely appreciate the fact that 1 is really shaggy legged and has some circumference of bone. But, when we look at the rest of him he is poorest balanced lamb as he is coarse shouldered, weak topped and low docked.