Classification question for upcoming jackpot show

[Aljohnson]

I teach high school agriculture education in Florida and our local FFA alumni is hosting its 11th annual jackpot show open to cattle, sheep and goats. For our sheep show, the divisions have always been split in to black face, white face, all other breeds, and hair sheep (we have a lot of them down here). The problem we were running in to was that black face and white face are not breed specific and our all other Breed division was. We had a lot of people entering Hamp X Southdown lambs in the AOB division bc they were a cross of divisions, but the lambs clearly had a black face. This division was meant for speckles, Tunis, etc. so this year the divisions changed to black face, white face, all other wool, and haired so that there is not breed attached to the divisions, purely based on phenotype. With that being said, these Hamp X Southdowns, with black or dark mousey faces would be entered in to black face, wouldn't you agree? I am trying to get some opinions on this before the classification starts at the show. Does a mousey colored face ever classify as a speckle at other shows? There are a few true speckles here but mostly Black or off black faces. I also heard a true speckle comes from a Dorset x black face, not south downs. I black face so I am not as familiar with breeding speckles.

[Bigiron59]

Nope. Southdown is a wf breed. So southdown cross would be in Wf cross . unless you use  a set criteria to class as a speck. You would be better with a WBI . white breed influence. To expect a down/ hamp cross to compete in Bf class is usually a volunteer for bottomw of the class.
They generally not as complete as a bf lamb.
 The crosses of the 2 would be entered  In your all other wool  class.

[Mama2girls]

This is the first time for me to comment/reply.. But my daughters white face lamb got put in a black face class at our fair this past week. She is 4-h, the only other white face was ffa, and they put both in the black face class. A really nice southdown lamb! but couldn't compete against the blackface lambs. Super frustrating to say the least.. We only have a blackface or whiteface class to enter in, and it's to their discreation apparently if there aren't enough to combine classes.  Just hard, when both of the girls with white face, have breeding projects as well, doesn't seem encouraging.

[Don Drewry]

Our market lamb classes are "Black face", "White Face" and "Speckle Face".  Jackpot shows around us usually have Black face and White face influenced.  Our 4-H state show rule is ,"A speckle faced lamb must show evidence of white & black/brown color on face.  Final classification will be determined at weigh-in"

[Aljohnson]

Thanks! The reasons you all shared is why I decided to ask your opinions. The problem we experienced in the past was these Southdown x Hamp/Suffolk crosses would automatically rise to the top in the aob classes, over powering the other lambs. There have been a couple lambs that you almost cannot tell there is any white face influence in them, some with solid black faces.

[EmsoffLambs]

JMO, but the whole point of any class is to find the lamb that you think will win that class. Hamps have an advantage over Suffolks in the black face class. Dorsets have an advantage over polypays in white face classes. Dorpers have the advantage in hair classes. If the Southdown crosses have an advantage on the AOB class, so be it. Kids who want to win that class can find southdown crosses. But I see no benefit in penalizing the kids who show this cross simply because they have a better sheep. If the lamb has a black face, put it on the blackface class. If it's mousy, it's not black. Put it in the AOB class.