First Place:  3

Entry number: 989

Exhibitor: PeteM

State: OK

Sheep name/number: Cabaniss 12-420G Super Chick

Breed: Shropshire

Website: www.mphclublambs.com

In starting the class with the Shropshire ewe, number 3 , I’m starting that class with the yearling ewe that combines the most power ,balance, style, and breed character of any ewe in the class. From the profile I appreciate the extended neck that is properly placed. For a power ewe I appreciate the fact that she is correct at the points. Skeletal correctness is essential in a breeding female. She is extremely long from flank to flank. She has proper rib shape and capacity and is full in her rear flank. I would appreciate her more with a little less depth of shoulder, however, expect a llittle depth in sheep that carry a lot of muscle and natural thickness.

From the rear she is wide and flat over the rack and this extends through her loin. She is long and level in her hip and is very correct at the hip/loin juncture. She is deep in the twist with muscle through the lower third. She is correct in her feet and legs. If bred to a ram that complements her style she should produce very competitive lambs, both in the show ring and hanging on the rail.

Second Place:  1

Entry number: 926

Exhibitor: DonD1

State: MN

Sheep name/number: T134

Breed: Hampshire

Website: myplace.frontier.com/~don.drewry/index.html

For me the most difficult placing was the middle pair, 1 and 2. I appreciate the combination of power, balance, and style of the Dorset, number 2, but I also appreciate the tremendous length from flank to flank, style, and balance of the Hamp ewe, number 1, therefore, I give a slight edge to number 1 and she will place second in the class.

From the profile the first thing I notice in a breeding class, especially wether dams and rams, is the placement of the neck. If it’s not placed square on top of the shoulder, it presents a major problem, especially in the showring because “yolk necked” lambs are usually stiffed neck and difficult to “set up” properly. This yearling ewe has a long properly placed neck and that length of neck correlates to a long rack and hindsaddle. She is very balanced with a long and level top line and is long and level in her hip. She is slightly round at the points, but, still very acceptable. I would appreciate her more if she showed more fullness of rib shape and lower flank, however, this flaw can be easily corrected through the sire side.

I do believe she has a slight slope over the loin. She does look wide and square through the pins (a very important trait in breeding females). She is moderate in depth of twist and I would like to see more width through the stifle. She is solid on her feet and legs. Bred to a structurally correct power ram she should produce competitive lambs because of her overall skeletal correctness.

Third Place:  2

Entry number: 979

The Dorset ewe placing third in the class, number 2, really caught my attention. She too has the correct neck placement. She is extremely clean at the points. She possibly is the most balanced female in the class. She is very desirable in rib shape and fullness of lower flank.

Now, for the two factors that dropped her to third in the class. First, she has a slight slope to the hip and second, to me she is long sided for a Dorset wether dam, however, compared to the two ewes placing above her in the class, she is short sided.

From the rear she is wide and flat over the rack and loin, correct in her pin placement, deep in the twist, with correct muscle shape and volume in the lower third. Overall, a really good quality Dorset ewe strong in breed character.

Fourth Place:  4

Entry number: 990

Exhibitor: livestockshowgirl

State:

Sheep name/number: Hana

Breed: Targhee

The Targhee ewe that places fourth in the class is probably at a disadvantage because she is basically a wool breed competing against three meat breeds which are slick sheared and she is in full fleece. Also, I have limited experience with this breed of sheep. I’ve judged the breed some in a few western states, particularly the Montana Fair at Billings. However, I seriously doubt there is a single Targhee sheep in Texas, therefore, I’m not as familiar with the breed as I am the other three breeds that make up the class.

From the profile her neck appears to be properly placed(yolk neck is easily detected regardless of the length of fleece). She appears to be balanced with proper rib shape and fullness of rear flank. She appears to be really clean at the points. I would bet if she was sheared slick we would see a slope off the hip and I would bet she would not be as wide and flat over the rack and loin as she appears. From the rear she does have depth of twist, however, I would like to see more evidence of muscle through the lower third and through the stifle, however, again, she is at least 3/4 wool breed. I would call her length of side in this class average, however, for the breed I would bet she is long sided. She is correct in feet and legs. Overall, a very impressive female with a lot of desirable characteristics.

Again, I placed the class 2-1-3-4 with cuts of 2-1-2. I would like to thank the exhibitors for entering 4 really desirable breeding females in this class. Your comments and thought concerning the placement of the class are appreciated. OG