First Place:  1

Entry number: 993

Exhibitor: sheepsnpygs

State: OH

Sheep name/number: BS2

Breed: Cross

1 is simply the most complete, fault free lamb that is smooth patterned yet shows the potential to be thick enough at his terminal endpoint and I would predict him to be the one that places more consistently under a variety of judges. In comparison to the speckled wether, he is better balanced in the profile picture, being deeper flanked and tucked neater through his chest floor, but yet reads to have just as much muscle shape and expression.

Second Place:  3

Entry number: 1032

Exhibitor: PeteM

State: OK

Sheep name/number: MB Maples 405-12 O "Bolt"

Breed: Speckle

Website: www.mphclublambs.com

I’ll be the first to admit that the speckled lamb is bigger and leveler hipped, extremely deep twisted and currently has an advantage of added lower inside leg, unfortunately his deeper, rounder shoulder and neck set would concern me some as he matures out.

Still there is some definite advantages in muscle when we compare him to the ewe lamb and his hip probably separates him in an equally challenging pair. 3 does show more squareness and shape to his loin, is wider and leveler set in his pins and should excel the ewe lamb in all aspects of leg score as they grow out.

Third Place:  4

Entry number: 1036
State: CA
Sheep name/number: 306
Breed: Hampshire X
Website: www.emsofflivestockcompany.com

Sure the ewe lamb is probably the best designed through the front 1/3 of her body and shapely over rack. But is too flat in her lower leg and rolls in her hip too much to edge out the two wethers ahead of her.

In an extremely contrasting bottom pair, the ewe lamb is still better balanced and more structurally correct than the dark pelted lamb. As a bonus she is longer spined and more correctly designed out of her dock.

Fourth Place:  2

Entry number: 1016

Now before all of you say I do not like dark lambs, let me state that there cannot be any doubt that the shaggy legged blue wether is by far the heaviest muscled lamb in class. Unfortunately he is too short and steep in his hip and almost show a tendency to be double muscled. It is too hard from these pictures for me to make that call for sure, but also too difficult to rule it out. Either way, typically these type of lambs get rounder and tighter in their design as they mature and do not have the structural integrity to win classes. If I made this call in error then you have a different class winner. However the photos to me indicate that I am probably correct.