As a class of prospects, I am going to choose to start the bigger bodied, stouter constructed 4.  I’ll be the first to admit that the blue ewe lamb is heavier conditioned and perhaps somewhat thicker hided than the lambs in the middle pair, however she is the best structured, nicest designed ewe in class that dominates in terms of muscle volume.  In contrast to the other dark fibered ewe, her rib design is much better, she is fuller loined, and deeper twisted.  Most importantly, it is the fullness she possesses in her lower leg that allows me to advance her over 2 in the initial pair. 

2 certainly is a leaner trimmer designed ewe, yet in reality she is a frailer structured lamb that lacks the total volume of muscle of the class winner.  Still I opt to choose her added style and structural correctness over the wether in the contrasting middle pair.  She is a shallower chested, leveler topped lamb that is leveler and fuller out of her dock. 

I’ll be the first to admit that at this stage 3 is fuller and thicker down his top and more expressive through the center portion of his leg.  He simply is too coarse made and out of balance as a prospect for me to place him in the top pair.  More specifically, he is deep through his chest floor and round out of his hip.  These faults aside, it is his added length of body and expressive muscle that places him over 1.  As I struggle with the placing of these two lambs, I simply feel there is too much advantage in shape of rack, loin and leg to place him below the Dorset ewe lamb.

In a tough decision, I place the Dorset last.  She is extremely nicely balanced and in breeding classes may be the best prospect of the 4.  However as a market lamb, I feel she is is the plainest, most nondescript in her muscling.  In addition, she is narrow pinned and at her hocks as well as funnels slightly to her lower leg. 
 

Therefore I placed them 4, 2, 3, 1 with cuts of 2, 2, 2. 
 
A side note-  The 4 has the fewest faults that can be worked out with a good track program.  2 I feel needs more time on feed to truly evaluate her compared to the class winner.  The faults of the deep chest and round hip in 3 only get worse with age for those of you that are currently selecting lambs for next year.  The Dorset makes a great breeding prospect, but as a market lamb will have a tough time getting better than the 3 blackfaced lambs.