Placing 1-3-2-4
Cuts 3-2-5
I like the breeding heifer calves 1324. The cattle up top are good but when you study them from the side, that is where 1 couples her stoutness and body shape with the added intangibles of look, balance and extra quality. Now don’t get me wrong, I never questioned the brood cow potential in that soft-sided, sure-footed 3.She is unquestionably the boldest and deepest bodied and I love her natural stoutness of feature. But it is from shoulders forward that I mark her second. She’s not as feminine about her head shape and comes with some extra throat on the bottom side of her neck.
But in the middle I’ll side with her cow power and natural stoutness to sort over 2. Not only is she deeper sided, but she reads with more natural dimension and maintains it at the base of her skeleton where she is bigger footed and stouter boned. Now I realize there’s no shortage of quality in 2. She’s a well-balanced female that some some presence from the side and can no doubt make a play in the showring. But she’s just doesn’t come as bold or soft in her center body or as maternal in the sweep to her rear flank.
But it’s easy sort on bottom because it’s hard to deny 2’s high quality look from the profile and I’m sure she’ll stay competitive when she belly’s down as a bred. Sure, 1s a sensibly sized and a good built and bodied heifer. But in a class this good, the frail, narrow pinned heifer just lacks the neat pieces and presence to compete, so she’s 4th.
