First Place:  3

Entry number: 1557

Exhibitor: EmsoffLambs

State: CA

Sheep name/number: Emsoff 523

Breed: Hampshire X

Website: www.emsofflivestockcompany.com

I started this class with an easy winner in the 3 ewe lamb. She is attractive through her front end, with a more desirable neck set and angle to her shoulder. I like her for being shallow chested and very correct in her lines, getting progressively deeper as you go back. From the rear she is the widest and fullest down her topline, and is the squarest and most expressive in the top of her hip. She combines that with having the most natural muscle through the center and lower portion of her leg. If I were to change her I would make her stouter boned and stand on a bigger foot in relation to the amount of muscle she possesses.

Second Place:  2

Entry number: 1551

Exhibitor: HeartP

State: CA

Website: www.heartplivestock.com

In a closer middle pair I chose 2 because she is a more nicely balanced female that is smoother down her topline and more correct in her loin edge. She is also very clean and neat in her chest floor and stands on a correct set of feet and legs. I would criticize her for being a bit plainer in her rib shape and not having enough turn to the outer portion of her leg.

Third Place:  1

Entry number: 1534

1 is the shaggiest legged and possibly the heaviest boned ewe in the class, who we have to acknowledge for her roundness of rib. She is smoother in her topline than 4 and is more expressive her leg shape when viewed from the side. However, she is also the roundest and most open in her shoulder design. She simply needs more dimension and shape of muscle from behind in relation to her front end to get her any higher.

Fourth Place:  4

Entry number: 1559

I can appreciate the #4 ewe for being round in her body and big and square in the top side of her hip as well as being deeper than 1 in her twist. However she is also the coarsest made ewe in the class, being deeper and more pronounced in her chest floor. 4 needs to be better down her top, as well as wider and flatter in her loin as we compare her to the rest of the class.