First Place:  4

Entry number: 958

Exhibitor: lm1668

State: OH

Sheep name/number: #52

Breed: Hampshire/Suffolk

Website: www.meyersshowlambs.com

The most productive, highest volume, widest topped female leads my initial pair as she is deeper in her forerib, fuller in her flank and most ideal in her rib shape.  As a bonus, she is wider based and wider over her rack and loin in addition to being squarer standing and more correct in the slope of her pasterns and should produce a more consistent set of offspring that combine structural correctness, stoutness and overall quality to a higher degree.

Second Place:  3

Entry number: 946

Exhibitor: Brunin

State: MN

Sheep name/number: 0008

Breed: Hampshire X

3 more closely follows the pattern of our class winner and is actually longer necked and later in her maturity pattern.  Unfortunately she is twisting out in her front end and the angle of the blocking table makes her appear a little tight spined and weaker loined. 

Still I prefer her added depth of flank and maternal appearance over 1 in close middle pair.  In addition she is wider in her pin set and more correct from her hock to the ground than the Hampshire appearing ewe, and I would predict her to have a more productive brood life and greater longevity within the flock.

Third Place:  1

Entry number: 905

 Now, those that are market lamb minded will like the added shape and expression of 1 and she is longer spined and more elevated in her rack and dock, unfortunately she is ill constructed and plays out in the lower third of her leg when compared to the top two so I opt to leave her third. 

With these faults aside, the easy decision comes in placing her over 2 in the concluding pair.  The stained wooled ewe is leveler and fuller over her rack and loin, blends smoother from her shoulder to her rib cage, and most importantly is much longer, leveler and squarer out of her dock and perhaps might raise the most club oriented wethers of the top three.

Fourth Place:  2

Entry number: 929

I certainly appreciate how thick ended the most juvenile blue pelted ewe is.  However in reality she is the coarsest in her design, toes out excessively on her front two and drops to much out hip and simply would lack the quality to produce show lamb prospects if comparably mated.