Hippo-sized pumpkin squashes opposition, declared world’s biggest

A monster pumpkin weighing the same as a hippopotamus has claimed the world record for the mightiest gourd – and bagged its grower a $30 000 (R570 000) prize.

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Travis Gienger squashed the competition with his enormous fruit weighing in at an improbable 2 749 pounds (1 247kg) at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival in California on Monday.

An orange-shirted Gienger punched the air and offered hugs all round after the weigh-in, as Queen’s “We Are The Champions” blasted out, according to video from the event.

Gienger put his fruit’s gigantic size down to extra care and 12 waterings a day.

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He planted the pumpkin on 10 April and spent about $15 000 on the pumpkin’s care and feeding, according to website sfgate.com.

Gienger drove it to California last week for the competition.

The 43-year-old has been growing pumpkins since he was a teenager and has won the championship three times.

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The contest, in its 50th year, pits growers of mega-gourds from all over North America against each other to see who can produce the biggest berry.

Gienger, from Minnesota, pipped his nearest rival by a hefty 250 pounds to walk away with this year’s title.

He also bagged a new world record in the process, besting an Italian effort from 2021 which tipped the scales at a relatively svelte 2 703 pounds, organisers said, and claimed the $30,000 in the process.

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The grand champion gourd will be on display in Half Moon Bay this weekend when the town hosts its Art and Pumpkin Festival.

The United States is currently in the throes of autumn celebrations with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes available at many stores.

While some will be carved into ghoulish designs for Halloween at the end of the month, others will be made into pies or consumed as part of dinner.

Pumpkin spice – a blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger – is almost inescapable at this time of year, flavoring everything from cookies to coffee and even cans of Spam.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse

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