First Place:  4

Entry number: 906

Exhibitor: lm1668

State: OH

Website: www.meyersshowlambs.com

In a relatively close opening pair, I prefer the fresher appearnng, plumper legged 4.  I'll be the first to admit that ideally the class winner could be smoother at the point of his shoulder and his neck could tie in neater to a cleaner front end.  Still in comparison to 3, he appears to be smoother and more uniform in his finish, has a slight advantage in regards to the fullness and turn to his loin edges and reads to have more power in the lower third of his leg.  I would predict him to rail the best combination of muscle and lean when harvested.

Second Place:  3

Entry number: 901

Exhibitor: babyewe

State: CO

Sheep name/number: Z

Sure the dirty pelted wether is wider out of his dock and longer hind-saddled, unfortunately he is rough down his top-line and equally as low necked and coarse fronted so I opt to leave him second. 

There is no doubt in a contrasting middle pair that 3 is the pounds heavier lamb that consequently drapes more muscle over his larger skeleton.  As a bonus, he is more correct in his rib shape, wider over his rack, longer and leveler out of his dock and would certainly hang more pounds of product than the lighter weight blue pelted wether.

Third Place:  2

Entry number: 819

It is obvious that 2 has the nicest look and best design to his front third of his skeleton as he is the tallest fronted, smoothest shoulder lamb in class whose neck ties in more correctly than his contemporaries.  Yet in reality, he is the pounds light lamb that is both shallow flanked and twisted so I leave him in 3. 

Still the dark fibered wether is more youthful in his rib, wedge shaped and progresively widens from front to rear.  As a bonus he is harder muscled and appears to only need more time on feed to maximize his full carcass potential.

Fourth Place:  1

Entry number: 796

Some may prefer the added width of loin and depth of twist of 1.  However he is to round off both ends of his skeleton,  mature and blown out in his ribcage, and although he is wide through the center of his stifle, he rolls too much out of his dock and funnels to the lower third of his leg, so he is last.