Shropshire Breed Judging Guide
American Shropshire Registry Association, Inc.
Structural Correctness
Judging Standard
Priority of Judging
1. Soundness
2. Carcass Quality
3. Breed Character
4. General Appearance
5. Size
SOUNDNESS – 30 points
a. Strong and straight topline.
b. Rib long and well sprung.
c. Hips wide and smooth.
d. Rump long, level and wide to dock.
e. Sound mouth.
Sound feet and legs
a. Strong and correctly set.
b. Upright pasterns.
c. Forelegs straight and strong.
d. Good bone.
Carcass Quality – 25 points
a. Loin broad, long and well-muscled.
b. Lean, well-muscled carcass.
c. Leg full, deep and well-muscled.
d. Forearm well-muscled.
Breed Character – 25 points
Head
a. Naturally clean dark face (not jet black), gray nose not objectionable.
b. No sign of horns.
c. White wool, covering the whole poll.
d. Nose straight, masculine on rams, feminine on ewes.
e. Straight or slightly dished face.
f. Eyes bright and alert.
Ears
Alert and well set, thin to moderate thickness, medium length, color same as face and legs.
Neck
Proportional, with clean throat, fitting into the shoulders in graceful lines.
Legs
Strong and correctly set with substance of bone, upright pasterns. Light colored wool below the hock and knees (not black wool).
Skin and wool
Pale skin covered with dense, fine quality wool of good staple.
Body
Well fleshed, long, deep and symmetrical. A broad, straight back with well-sprung ribs. Rump – quarters long and wide, dock well set on and leg full and deep.
General Appearance – 10 points
Alert, attractive and stylish appearance running level to uphill with a clean breast tying into the neckline. Shoulders blending smoothly into the ribs and into the neckline. Good abdominal girth with a high chest floor, strong and straight back with adequate body capacity.
Size – 10 points
Medium sized, appropriate to age of animal.
Slick Shearing
It is required that all Shropshire sheep be exhibited slick shorn. Slick shorn is defined as being shorn completely to the hide within five days of the show date. The wool may be left from the rear hock down and the front knees down plus the wool cap defined as from the ears and poll forward. All belly wool must be shorn off and divots in the hock area must be sheared out.
Discriminations
Black fiber, wool blindness, bare bellies, or coarse wool on breech.
Excessive white on face, throat and legs.
Excessive wool-free areas around vulva, udder or scrotum.
Ears thick-skinned, coarse or excessively long or drooping.
Coarse or Roman nose.
Obesity or lack of thrift.
Stubs or scurs.
Lack of wool cap, jet black face or leg color.
Black arm pits, lack of wool below hocks and knees.
Spots on face, throat, ears or legs.
Wrinkled hide.
Horns
Over or under shot jaw.
Severely splayed hooves.
Very weak pasterns.
Disqualifications
Severely post-legged or sickle hocked.
Evidence of existing or surgically altered faults such as inverted eyelids, hernia, prolapse, abnormal sexual organs.
Hides that are black, blue or gray.
Shropshire Breed Character Score card
In an effort to promote better breed character this score card can be used as a guide to help inform members and judges.
These pictures provide a range from good to poor with a score corresponding to the image in five different areas. All images with a five or better are considered acceptable breed character.
These include:
1. Heads 10 points
2. Nose shape 10 points
3. Color 10 points
4. Ears 10 points
5. Leg cover 10 points
HEADS
Head short and broad; wide between the ears and between the eyes; short from top of head to tip of nose; ears short, of medium size; eyes expressive; head should be well covered with wool to a point even with the eyes, without any appearance of horns;
Objections: Horns disqualify, white face disqualifies, head with prominent bones, bare on top of head.
“Taken from the 1885 points of interests”
Score 9
Score 10 if better
Heads – Score 8
Heads – Score 7
Heads – Score 6
Heads – Score 5
Heads – Score 4
Heads – Score 2
Heads – Score 3
Heads – Score 1
Score 0 if worse
Nose Shape
Nose straight, masculine on rams, feminine on ewes. Straight or slightly dished face. Eyes bright and alert.
Score 9
Score 10 if better
Nose – Score 8
Nose – Score 7
Nose – Score 6
Nose – Score 5
Nose Long – Score 4
Nose Roman – Score 2
Nose Too Long – Score 3
Nose – Score 1 “Too Roman” Score 0 if worse
COLOR
Naturally clean dark face (not jet black), gray nose not objectionable. No sign of horns. White wool, covering the whole poll.
Score 9
Score 10 if better
Color – Score 8
Color – Score 6
Color – Score 7
Color – Score 5 Too open faced
Color Too Light – Score 4
Color Too Dark – Score 2
Color Dark – Score 3
Color – Score 1 Too dark
Score 0 if darker
Alert and well set, thin to moderate thickness, medium to short length, color same as face and legs.
Score 9
Score 10 if better
Ears – Score 8
Ears – Score 7
Ears – Score 6
Ears – Score 5
Ears – Score 4
Long ears
Ears – Score 2
Too long & droopy
Ears – Score 3 Too long
Ears – Score 1
Too long,droopy & thick
Score 0 if worse
LEG COVER
Strong and correctly set with substance of bone, upright pasterns. Light colored wool below hock and knees (not black wool).
Score 9
Score 10 if better
Leg Cover Score 8
Leg Cover Score 6
Leg Cover Score 7
Leg Cover – Score 5
Leg Cover – Score 4
Bare
Leg Cover – Score 2
Too bare and weak pasterns
Leg Cover – Score 3
Too bare
Leg Cover – Score 1
Score 0 if barer
~ Notes ~
Shropshire Breed Character Booklet compiled by The American Shropshire Registry Association’s Board of Directors
Spring 2023
Publication printed by The Shropshire Voice Publisher Rinda Maddox, The Sidell Reporter