Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 227 



exhibited in wrong age classes. In some cases, ex- 

 hibitors have done this to try out the judge to see 

 if he knew his business. It is also necessary to 

 make sure that each sheep shown in a class belongs 

 to the sex that the class calls for. The writer has 

 found cases where ram lambs were shown in ewe 

 lamb classes, and wethers in ram classes. All of 

 these points should not be overlooked, as they are 

 of great importance. 



It is also a good plan to let the sheep walk 

 around the show ring before making a decision, in 

 order to see that none are lame in one foot or leg. 

 This often cannot be discovered, for some shep- 

 herds know how to hold a sheep in the ring so as 

 to hide this defect. Style and carriage, as well as 

 active movement, should also be considered when 

 the sheep is turned loose in the ring. This method 

 is often very helpful when there is close competi- 

 tion. For instance, a very fat, overdone, sluggish 

 ram or ewe should never be placed over one which 

 is in the pink of condition, and full of life and 

 vigor, provided the latter has no other serious 

 faults or defects. To make sure of these points, 

 the judge is almost obliged to turn the sheep loose 

 in the ring. Serious cases of lameness often dis- 

 qualify sheep from competition. However, good 



