Swine Discovery - Judging - Class 4 Hampshire Market Hogs

• Official Placing = 1-4-2-3
• Cuts = 2-4-5

1-4-2-3 is my placing on this class of Hampshire market hogs.  I found the class to break into a close top pair, a logical third, and an easy bottom.  Ideally my class winner could have been longer bodied and leveler rumped, nonetheless, it's still 1 over 4 in my initial pair as the gilt was the squarest topped, being more expressive behind her shoulder and having a meatier roll to her top.  Additionally she was deeper bodied, looser flanked and had more curvature to her center rib.  She was simply a more practical, producer acceptable gilt that when taken to the rail should have a carcass that would open with a larger eye.  I admit that 4 had more dimension to his ham and was a longer bodied, leveler designed, heavier boned barrow.  However, this doesn't offset the fact that he was shallow bodied, tight flanked and was bow-legged and soft on his pasterns.

In reference to my intermediate pair it's still 4 over 2 as he was a heavier muscled barrow with more thickness through his stifle and flare to his ham.  Furthermore he was a fresher appearing more structurally correct barrow that was leveler topped and longer fronted.  When taken to the hook he should hang more total pounds of high priced consumer preferred cuts.  I appreciate that 2 was a deeper bodied, more pliable middled gilt, however, I criticized her and left her third as she was short-necked and straight shouldered.  

Nonetheless, I still placed 2 over 3 in my concluding pair as 2 was a nicer balanced gilt that was especially leveler rumped and higher in her tail set.  Additionally she had a meatier turn to her top and was a leaner, trimmer gilt that was cleaner through her jowl and ham seam.  This obvious advantage in muscularity and trimness should allow her to rail a carcass with a higher percent lean.  I recognize the barrow was flatter and cleaner through his joints, however this doesn't offset the fact that he was a stale, round-topped barrow that was steep-rumped and straight through his shoulder and hocks, and when taken to the rail would hang the poorest carcass on a lean-grade basis in this class today.