First Place:  1

Entry number:  216

Exhibitor:  Sam1

State:  KS

Sheep name/number:  1

Breed:  Hampshire

Website:  www.greatlambs.com

We have two ram lambs that for me must sort in the top pair in this class, which differ greatly in type and kind.  I am going to opt to start with 1, due to the fact that he probably hits me the hardest as a potential wether sire.  He is one that we might like to see a little more rib and production in, however I predict that will get better with age.  As we compare him to 2, he is longer, more extended through his neck and front end, very square down his topline, and appears to have more fullness and squarer edges to his rack and loin.  Most importantly, he is a tremendously big hipped lamb that should inject a great deal of levelness, look, and eye appeal into his progeny.  As a bonus he is the stoutest boned ram that can only improve the structure of most flocks.

Second Place:  2

Entry number:  226

Exhibitor:  wuvewes

State:  IA

Sheep name/number:  8004

Breed:  Crossbred

Website:  www.moserclublambs.com

If you are looking to improve the rib and production within a flock, 2 is perhaps a more logical choice.  However, he does not read to have the length or extension, nor the top shape of our class winner, so I’m going to leave him second.  Nevertheless, in comparison to 3, his is much more level from blade to dock, has a fuller, more productive look to his for-rib and flank and appears to be a wider based, stouter structured lamb from front to rear.

Third Place:  3

Entry number:  257

3 would probably do wonders in cleaning up points of shoulders and elevating the chest floors of any lambs that he produces, but I feel that is where his advantage ends.   In reality he is tighter ribbed, lighter muscled, and a great deal more off in his dock than our top two.  Still based on the photographs, he is a higher quality ram prospect that appears to be more shapely and expressive throughout,  specifically over his rack and loin and has a great deal more inner and outside leg when analyzed from the rear.

Fourth Place:  4

Entry number:  260

4 may be the ram prospect in the class that would best add frame and shear size to a flock.  Outside of that,   he is rather plain in his appearance, undoubtedly the lightest muscled ram (if he is still intact) that should be squarer out of his dock and show a great deal more lower leg to realistically be considered a ram prospect.  Unless it was a really cold day the day the picture was taken, there should probably be more scrotal development on a ram of this age as well. 

In a very sortable class, I am going to count them 1, 2, 3, 4 and cut the top the least, 2 points, because of the different scenarios that these two  prospects would work in.  3 is a logical third that probably should not be considered in the top pair so a 4 point cut is in order.  4 cannot reasonably come off of the bottom so a 7 point cut is in order here.  As always any questions or comments are welcome. 

Those of you headed to the Corp.  have a great trip.  I hope you can pick up all of the great ones cheap.