First Place:  3

Entry number: 852

Exhibitor: cherimy

State: OR

Sheep name/number: Money ewe lamb

Breed: Hampshire

Website: www.nobleridgeranch.com

3 is the logical starting place as she is the most complete, best balanced ewe with the smoothest look from the side.  No, she is not the longest sided nor the latest maturing, however her structural correctness, smoothness of pattern and overall advantages in skeletal width allow her to logicially lead the inital pair over 2.  3 is smoother at her hip-loin juncture, more level, correctly designed and pulled apart in her dock, and comes down more correct from her pins to her hock and hock to the ground.  Most importantly she is wider based and better maintains this width and thickness to the top of her skeleton.

Second Place:  2

Entry number: 813

Exhibitor: Shadowran

State: CA

Website: www.shadowoaksranch.com

I'll be the first to admit that 2 is longer necked and appears to be later maturing.  Unfortunately, she is not as smooth down her top, level in her dock or correct on her rear two as our class winner so she is second.

In a close middle pair with some give and take, I prefer the trimmer made, more shapely 2 over 4.  Again, I would like to change the hip structure and rear leg set on 2, however she reads truer in her muscularity and shows more correct turn to her ribcage than 4.  Most importantly, she his more ideal in her condition, thus allowing me to be more certain of her overall width and ability to inject show ring look into her offspring.  With her added trimmness, it is obvious she has every bit as much capacity and more turn to her fore-rib than 4.

Third Place:  4

Entry number: 854
State: OH
Sheep name/number: 1102
Breed: Crossbred
Website: www.freewebs.lambquartersfarm/

Sure 4 is wide, thick and and has some volume, unfortunately she is too heavy conditioned for me to use in the top pair, and I predict if melted down, would not have the thickness nor the shape of the top two so I leave her third.

Still, in a contrasting concluding duo, she is a bigger boned, stouter constructed ewe that is fuller in her thoracic cavity, deeper hearted and leveler out of her dock.  As a bonus, she is squarer off of her rear legs and appears to be an easier fleshing, lower input type of female.

Fourth Place:  1

Entry number: 795

I really appreciate how the dark fibered ewe progressively widens and thickens as she progresses from a shallow clean front to a deeper flank and appears to be the furtherest along in her production phase.  Unfortunately she is the frailest in her rib construction, off in her dock, narrowest in her pin set and sickle hocked, so I opt to leave her last.

Again, I like them 3, 2, 4, 1 with cuts of 4, 2, 6.  Good Luck and Happy Fathers Day, Dads!