Here's a pic I've just taken of the first clump that came off Hazel. Thank you for the decription Fleecewife of what you should see, I can clearly see what I would describe as a greasy layer although it not come out as yellow in the picture - so that's the 'rise'
Tecnically the rise is the very thin area where the new fibres are pushing at the old ones, but it's marked by the greasy layer, which was layed down in the winter when fleece growth slowed and the sheep needed to keep warm.
The clump you have got off is much bigger than any of my sheep would let me pull ! Mine make me do one or two locks at a time. In fact it looks as if yours could have been peeled successfully.
As Hermit says, it leaves a lovely clean even fleece with Shetlands but Soays can sometimes look as if they have been skinned alive
probably because their fleece is shorter than a Shetland's.