The world’s biggest pumpkin title lasted one week before a 1,431.5kg giant took over
British twins made pumpkin history, then lost the record a week later when a Rhode Island grower unveiled a 1,431.5kg giant.
The record for the world’s heaviest pumpkin barely had time to settle. British twin brothers made history with one enormous squash, only for a Rhode Island grower to reclaim the title a week later with an even bigger giant weighing 1,431.5kg.
A record that changed hands fast
The pumpkin crown was broken twice within days, turning an already unusual competition into an even stranger race at the top. Ian and Stuart Paton, twin brothers from Lymington, Hampshire, set a new mark on October 3 with a squash weighing 1,296kg, or 2,857lbs. Their win made them the first Britons to hold the title in its recorded history.
That achievement did not last long. Seven days later, Ron Wallace unveiled a heavier pumpkin at a contest on Saturday, and officials confirmed that it had set a new world record at 1,431.5kg, or 3,156lbs. According to the figures in the weigh-in, Wallace’s entry was nearly 200kg heavier than the pumpkin that had just taken the crown.
The size comparison says a lot about how extreme that number is. The pumpkin was described as weighing about the same as a small car or three concert grand pianos. It was also said to be large enough to make more than 3,000 pumpkin pies.
Why the winning grower stayed close to home
Wallace, 60, had his pumpkin checked by officials from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off in Rhode Island, US. Even though other events had attracted growers with much bigger prize funds, he chose to go for the record in front of a hometown crowd.
He collected £2,650, or $3,500, at the local contest. He said some other competitions had offered about £53,000, or $70,000, in prize money, but he wanted to be surrounded by people from his own area for the moment the result came in.
Describing the atmosphere when the pumpkin was weighed, Wallace said, "I was just ecstatic, the place just exploded." He also credited other growers for helping him get there, saying the only way to create a 3,000 pound pumpkin is through a community working together.
Wallace has been growing giant gourds for 35 years, and the head judge at the event, Matthew DeBacco, said it was remarkable to see what nature can produce with the help of an expert horticulturist.
This is not new territory for him
As dramatic as the one week title swing was, Wallace is not a newcomer to record pumpkins. Guinness officials said this is the third time he has held the heavyweight pumpkin title during his career.
His first world record came in 2006, when one of his squash weighed 681.3kg, or 1,502lbs. He reached the top again in 2012 with a pumpkin weighing 911.27kg, or 2,009lbs. The latest result pushes that record far beyond both of those earlier marks.
After producing the heaviest pumpkin in the world again, Wallace said he may step back for a while. He said he is contemplating taking next year off to finish projects around his farm, adding that the off season can be busy with seminars and requests, and that those commitments take time away from preparing for the next growing season.
