Placing: 3-4-1-2
Cuts: 4-2-3
I like the wether dams 3412. I was quick to find the best built and highest quality sheep in 3. She stands apart in regard to her look of balance and skeletal build. She studies correct in the angle of her joints, lays her spine in the most correctly and I particularly like her body shape and underline balance. Now I will be the first to admit, the female in second is bold bodied and plenty stout. But as I study her from a balance and quality standpoint, she’s just a bit rounder on both ends of her skeleton.
Still as we look to a closer middle decision, I think she has the edge when it comes to skeletal quality. 4 appears to be more correct from a composition standpoint, she’s more dynamic through the front third of her body, more elevated at the base of her chest and lays her spine in more correctly. But here is where the challenge lies. 1 is as stout and rugged appearing as any sheep in the class. For me, the deepest chested ewe is just too course and round in the way her shoulder is constructed. She’s off in her topline, and just doesn’t balance well enough for my liking.
Still I’ll give her the nod over 2 in my bottom decision, as she’s a bigger ribbed, stouter made female who has an easier fleshing look. 2 certainly needs to be appreciated from the standpoint of having a youthful look and being more extended through the front third of her body. However she sorts to the bottom for me, as she’s the hardest bodied female, who is off in the way her underline balances and is shorter and rounder out of her hip.
