Show Rules

All sheep must be either owned or bred by the exhibitor.

Each sheep can be shown only once per year, with the exception of prospect/feeder lambs, which can be shown one more time as market lambs.

Prospect/feeder lambs must be weaned (minimum of 60 days old) and under 100 lbs.  Lambs 100 lbs. or heavier will be exhibited as market lambs.

Pictures must be of profile (side) and rear views of the sheep on flat ground.  No awards (ribbons, trophies, banners, etc.) can be included in the pictures.  Human faces will be cropped out of pictures if possible; if this is not possible, the picture will be disqualified.  Also, no names or ranch names will not be allowed in the pictures.  Preferably, for accuracy of judging, pictures will be of shorn, clean sheep.  Pictures can be disqualified at the judges' discretion for low quality, improper angle, or inappropriate content.

In order to promote fairness and competition, each exhibitor will be allowed only two entries per class.  Pictures will be held until enough entries are received from enough exhibitors to make a full class.

The top two placing animals in each class will compete for champion at the end of the year.  Champions will be selected by a committee of our judges.

Just as with any show, strong ethics are required to maintain the integrity of the Online Sheep Show.  Altering pictures in such a way as to change the shape of an animal is dishonest.  Pictures can be cropped, lighten, darkened, and corrected for contrast, but any stretching, etc. is CHEATING.  Just don't do it.

Judging Contest Rules

The judging contest will be scored according the Hormel Judging System.

Each contest will be comprised of ten classes.  Each class will run from no later than midnight pacific time Saturday until 5:00 p.m. pacific time the following Saturday.  Entries received later than 5:00 p.m. pacific time Saturday will not be accepted.  Non-entered classes will count as a zero.  The participant in each age division with the highest score at the end of the ten-class contest will be the winner.

Photo Suggestions

This is a show.  Sheep should be in show condition.  This includes recently shorn or fitted and clean.

Set the sheep up as you would in the show ring.  For the profile shot, the photographer should squat down so the camera is level with or below the sheep.  The photographer should be even with the rear flank in order to make the lamb look its best.

For the rear shot, the photographer should stand about 10 feet away, directly behind the lamb while it is being braced.

PLEASE closely crop the picture and/or reduce the resolution of the pictures to reduce the file size. This will greatly assist the webmaster in handling the pictures in a timely fashion.  Large file sizes require long times to download from and upload to the internet.

Judging Tips

Click here for illustrations of what a judge is looking for.