There’s no hiding the blue masked barrows unrivaled quality. It’s not uncommon when hogs with that height of shoulder and extension ahead of their blade often come too vertical and closed up. Uniquely enough, he’s still the squarest through his blade and knee and comfortable in his blade angle, yet that’s an incredibly robust, big backed hog whose show barrow athleticism is capped off by his stoutest, most attractive hip and hind leg. He's simply next level caliber.

Now even the best ones have a small issue and I just wish my class winner was stronger on his pasterns and that’s where I will give the edge to the dense feature Berk barrow as he’s stronger on all four. But let’s be real; he’s not in the same league as the class winner. 

After this, there’s a trio of purebreds to sort. The Berk is our next pick. That’s an incredibly big footed stout legged hog who although a bit thicker necked is still proportional and that’s only highlighted by his ultra productive center and high set tail root. Now it’s obvious that the York barrow has a strong backing of feeders at home because we love his fresh center body fill and top side shape. He just hits us a bit frailer. The longer toed barrow needs a denser forearm and ankle to slide up, and he gets more upright in his blade and knee.

Now there’s no doubt both barrows on bottom need a few more structural modifications, but we will never stray away from our initial impression of the taller bladed cleaner jawed 4s extra shape and look. Now the stout skulled even toed Duroc is impressive in terms of his forearm and feature. But he’s the shortest coupled roundest hipped barrow who needs a shot more real muscle to move off bottom for us.

We like the purebred gilts 3-1-4-2. Females with the dense skeleton coupled with the skeletal quality of the red gilt have a long lasting history of making hogs better. The stout skulled, big armed gilt comes back level in her design while still being the tall shouldered neat looking gilt that simply proportions the best from the side. Now, the Berkshire’s freshness, bold rib cage, and genuine mass has us intrigued, and from her hip forward we considered a switch. But the smaller footed gilt gets shorter and rounded hipped and lower in the set to her tail root.

Still, that attractive, striking look is hard to forget in middle. The taller shouldered, cleaner jawed 1 hooks up stronger and leveler out of the backside of her blade and is more honest in her condition. Now it’s no secret 4’s the brood sow of the group. The opened up, big bodied gilt is longer and leveler out of her hip. She’s just fatter than we term ideal. The plainer necked, weaker topped gilt isn’t as correct in the set to her front feet.

Yet, it’s clear that mass and shape isn’t an issue on bottom, so 4’s more correct angle to her blade and better set to her hock never had us questioning using her over 2. Certainly, the Landrace has as much turn and spread to her loin and comes back to as stout of hip as any. But the straight bladed, small footed, round hipped gilt isn’t as comfortable in the angles to her skeleton.

The mother breed is known for skeletal quality and immense female character so it just made sense to start the 4 gilt. The stout yet feminine fronted gilt is the best in the angle of her blade knee and foot and has an incredible set to her hock and pastern. Throw in her ultra maternal shape to her rib cage and she’s the one that hit us as a timeless brood sow that can make an impact in a multitude of operations. Now stoutness of feature and functional longevity is where we never question the flag tail 3. She’s the long, extended gilt that whose stout jawline, forearm, and tail root indicate generator. However, I just wish the puller would have laid off the pan as the flat footed gilt was pictured too stretched and this only exemplifies her easy spine.

But still that maternal image is resonated in the middle. The clean joined looser constructed gilt who’s better in her underline should see more successful years in the crate. Undoubtably 2 does not lack for power. The massive topped gilt has the most shape up high and expression to her stifle but it comes as a sacrifice to femininity as the straighter bladed gilt is entirely too short hipped and needs to be squared up about her hock.

Still we will never stray away from our initial impression of the more robust gilt in 2, she’s easily bolder in her rib with more substance. Yes the youthful looking 1 is stronger topped and leveler out through her hip. We just have the hardest time justifying the frailest, flattest ribbed gilt that’s a bit more ordinary in her look off bottom. Thank you.

We like the crossbred market hogs 1324. We’ll never question our initial impression; 1’s the stout skulled, big forearmed gilt that’s pried apart in her lower skeleton and the most robust in the center portion of her body. This allows her to square up with the most spread and shape out of the backside of her blade and carry it back to the most powerful hip. It’s all the more intriguing that the flag-tailed gilt is still tall bladed and up-headed and hits you with a dense, proportional look. Now, the 3 barrow certainly offers more length and extension ahead of his blade and is leveler and longer out through his hip. But, it’s when he comparatively gives up power and dimension to such a bold, stout class winner that keeps him a competitive 2nd.

Even with that said, it’s in a middle pair of hogs that are contrasting in their type and kind where we’ll stay committed to skeletal quality. 3’s more correct in the angle of his blade and more correct in his hip and hind leg. We would anticipate him to get out and drive with more coordination off both ends of his skeleton. Although it’s no surprise, the 2 gilt is fresher backed and more aggressive to the turn of her loin edge. It’s also in the same breath, she’s quicker and more compact that’s too upright in her shoulder and rounds out of her hip.

Although she’s not perfect, it’s our commitment to carcass merit that makes the bottom a routine mark of 2 over 4. She’s the bigger topped, thicker ended gilt who should go to the rail and garner the higher dollar value. Now, we admire the truly fresh and natural presentation in the 4 barrow and he’s taller bladed and leveler designed. But that’s the frailest, narrow chested, lightest muscled hog that appears to be pushing the most at his 10th. Thank you.

We are quick to tie into 4s ability to tandem brood sow quality with the extras of an elite show gilt. She’s the best footed and the most laid back in her blade and knee, and that’s easily the levelest designed gilt whose tail root sits highest on the topside of her skeleton, which only exemplifies the fact that she’s the levelest in her hip and reads to have the most attractive set to her hock and pastern. Sure thing the dark red gilt’s tall shoulder, extension ahead of her blade, and extra shape certainly caught our eye. However some of her pieces only highlight the fact she’s too concave in her rib cage and the most glaring issue is that she’s the shortest and steepest in her hip and has to have more flex to her rear hock.

Nonetheless in a final trip that each have a few more holes, 2’s extra bone, sharp look, and shape should allow her litters to generate more excitement when they hit the chips. No doubt, 1 is the denser brood sow of the pair that’s bigger in terms of her forearm and bolder in her rib. On the contrary she’s the lower fronted gilt that runs downhill and needs to be fresher about the topside of her skeleton.

Still we are left with a bottom pair of gilts that are a shot plainer in their kind, but we still think there is value in dense and rugged keeper gilts, so we kept the stouter 1 over 3 on bottom. Sure 3 is big scaled and soft centered, but this alone isn’t enough to keep the weakest pasterned, frailest featured, fattest gilt off bottom.

We’re quick to find a hog that stands alone in terms of combining an elite show barrow look while covering basic market fundamentals. 4’s the elevated, ultra fresh barrow that’s busted open in his lower skeleton, thus laying the foundation for him to work the deepest groove out of the backside of his blade out to the stoutest hip and onto the most correct hind leg. Certainly, the litter 6 barrow in second initially strikes us as the big forearmed, heavy structured option. However, he’s not equipped with the elite next level pieces to rival our winner as he’s plainer ahead of his blade and not as fresh in his topside shape.

Even so, in a middle pair of hogs that pliable big centered hogs, we‘ll always side with good structured livestock and run it 3-2. He is more laid back about the angles to his blade and knee, hooks up stronger behind his shoulder, and should drive off of a more secure build to his hip and hind leg. There’s no question 2 is a big outline hog who is actually more shapely from blade to hip. At the same token, he’s straighter about his blade and knee, gets more lax about his spine, and is frailer about his ankle.

Now although not perfect structurally, it’s obvious that 2 holds the advantage in pure substance and carcass merit on bottom. Sure 1’s more extended up front and should rail a lean high cutability carcass. Past that, the hard bodied barrow is the frailest and softest at the surface. The least practical barrow stays fourth.

In a class that has challenge, 4 best bridges the gap between brood sow fundamentals while still offering the unique tangibles it requires to be competitive in the show ring. She’s a tall bladed, extended gilt that is still pliable in the center portion of her skeleton, and works true shape out of the backside of her blade back into a stout and powerful hip. Couple this with her comfortable build and we’d expect her to be the most influential in the sow herd. Now, there’s no doubt the blue rumped gilt is the deepest sided and comes with an extra shot of power but she’s the plainer crested, thicker necked gilt that reads weaker on her pasterns and quicker maturing.

Even with that said, she’s still the leveler hipped gilt that’s more relaxed in the angles of her skeleton while still offering that quality brood sow look. Quite honestly, take her to an extended boar that runs uphill and that’s where you’ll truly capitalize on this ones breeding potential. Initially, I was drawn to the trendy, fresh gilts added stoutness and unrivaled back shape but the longer I study her, she flatter in her rib and needs to be redesigned in the assembly of her hip and hind leg.

Despite this, I still think 2 offers more unique pieces necessary to produce those stout and stylish show barrows. Her added feature and proportional look should have breeding value. Sure, the calico is stout skulled but her frailer ankle doesn’t match. The most compact gilt hits us the most terminal.

We like the weanling gilts 1-3-4-2. In a drive that represents a variety of breeds, the Duroc’s stand alone stoutness of feature, presence and skeletal quality quickly makes her the place to start. The big forearmed gilt comes back the boldest through her center body and she reads the most comfortable at the ground. Certainly, the York gilt’s tall shoulder, extension ahead of her blade, and class leading shape always makes buyers excited when looking to hit the circuit. But at the same token, she comes back tighter in her forerib, rounder out of her hip and frailer at the surface.

Even so, her quality and functional build is hard to get around in middle. No doubt, she’s the gilt who offers more extension, levelness down her spine and length out of her hip. Certainly, the crossbred 4 gilt’s circumference of bone and added rib shape makes her intriguing. However, she’s tighter at her ham loin and shorter out of her hip, which ultimately throws off her look of proportionality from the side.

Nonetheless, in a bottom pair of females who both need a structural upgrade, 4’s upper hand in show ring look offers more breeding value and versatility. Sure, the spot 2 gilt’s performance and length of body doesn’t go unnoticed, and she’s not lacking for muscle. Yet, this is less interesting when you’re the plain fronted gilt who’s too rigid at her ankle and straight off both ends.

We like the Berkshire Gilts 1243.

The top pair presents a pair of females with more substance and a durable build. Maybe 1 isn’t as highly presented, but she reads to us as the most correct in her skeleton. She's the most composed in her spine and the levelest in her hip while being the most correct in her ham loin. In addition we wouldn't be surprised if she's the most comfortable on the drive, as evident by the fact she's the most laid back in the angle of her blade and knee and has the most correct set to her hind leg. No doubt, 2’s overwhelming in regard to dimension. The long spined, big scaled gilt is bigger bladed, stouter forearmed and easily more pliable and robust in her rib cage, which is why it is no shock she's way stouter in the upper portion of her hip. Not to mention, she’s fresher about her skin and hair. Then again, she's the heavier conditioned gilt who's weaker in her spine and rounder in her muscle pattern. We wish her bone and feature better matched her power up high.  

Still, we are firm in our standing that Berkshire seedstock need to be stout and powerful, and although she could stand to be neater looking, she's easily the burly, stouter skulled female, who’s simply denser. This lays the foundation for her to spread more brood sow power and mass out the back side of her blade. Now 4's going to have fans and that’s justified. More extension ahead of her blade and a refined jawline coupled with the more evenly spaced underline certainly represent female quality. But all too often of ultra-refined females, she's too flat in the upper part of her rib and needs more hip. She’s by some margin the frailest boned smallest footed gilt could stand to be powered up to get into the top pair, and she hits us a bit straighter off both ends.

Nevertheless, we think her pieces would be better complimented by a rugged, opened up power boar and should still offer plenty of breeding opportunity. Take nothing away from 3; her unique pieces didn't go unnoticed. She's stouter legged, bigger forearmed and has way more shape. But the driest ribbed, hardest bodied gilt who's too rocked forward in her blade and knee appears to be the tightest in her spine and most uncomfortable in her build. She’s too coarse for us to move her any higher.

We like the Duroc barrows 2-3-1-4. Immediately, the dark red 2 barrow’s carcass merit coupled with unrivaled show barrow proportions makes him the place to start. The big forearmed, stout featured barrow is the boldest in his rib cage while still blending this with a tall shouldered, neat look up front. Certainly, the leveler designed barrow is to be found in 3. He offers plenty of extension ahead of his blade while being more collected in his spine and set higher at the base of his tail. But this comes at a sacrifice, as the lowest performing, hardest bodied barrow simply doesn’t offer the same robust, durable look as our class winner.

That leaves us with a remaining trio that’s open for discussion. But for us, 3’s more youthful look up front and design from the profile is where we will place our emphasis. The stronger pasterned hog is more correct about the angulation to his blade with a better set to his hip and hind leg. From a cutability standpoint, 1’s more aggressive topside shape and performance leaves room for a switch. However, the low fronted, flat footed barrow just hits us a little round.

Yet, it’s in a bottom pair of bigger scaled hogs, 1’s the stouter featured barrow that hooks up more correct out of his blade with a more useful set to his hock and ankle. Certainly, the performance and total weight advantage of the paint branded 4 is hard to look past. But beyond this, the narrowest skulled, straightest made, roundest hipped barrow strikes us as the most off balance, so he’s forth.