First Place:  2

Entry number: 1172

Exhibitor: EmsoffLambs

State: CA

Sheep name/number: Emsoff 343

Breed: Hampshire X

Website: www.emsofflivestockcompany.com

In the top pair of power driven lambs, 2 is simply better balanced and more correct out of his hip. Ideally the class winner needs a touch more outside, lower leg. However, the better balanced more structurally correct buck lamb is better in his rib design, deeper twisted and smoother and cleaner through the point of his shoulder. Most importantly, he iis better through all aspects of his dock, being longer, leveler, and smoother blending on the profile while wider pinned and fuller around his tailhead from the rear. He basically dominates from the standpoint of show ring potential.

Second Place:  1

Entry number: 1155

Now one could argue that 1 is the more carcass driven wether that is more shapely down his top and plumper through his center leg. Unfortunately as a show prospect he just needs to be smoother in his pattern, blend better through his shoulder and be more elevated in his dock to compete with the class winner.

Still he is the obvious choice over 3 in the middle comparison. The bloomy wether with the paint brand is much more ideal in his condition and consequently has more elevation and squareness to his rack. To add to this 1 is wider and fuller over his loin edge and packing a lot more product from his 12th to his hock. As a result he should feed out to a more powerful market lamb that will rail more red meat yield at his terminal endpoint.

Third Place:  3

Entry number: 1186

I certainly appreciate the clean front and correct rib design of 3, but in reality he is just too thin and light muscled at this point to make a legitimate run at the top pair.

With this aside, he still has more show lamb appeal than the Southdown. 3 has more meat animal shape to his rack, upper dock and leg. As a bonus he is better about his rib design and progressively widens from front to rear and deepens from forerib to flank. Thus he should be the more desirable prospect as the feeding phase progresses.

Fourth Place:  4

Entry number: 1190

The Southdown wether is wide and thick and if simply hung on the rail might be the carcass winner in the long run, but as far as show prospects go, he is somewhat plain. He appears to be prematurely open in his ribcage, round in his top shape, stale pelted and most important drops excessively out of his hip and would probably have the most difficult time excelling his contemporaries if shown in a natural state 3-6 months down the road.