World's 3rd largest pumpkin weighed in Cape Breton
CBC News | Posted: October 13, 2012 11:02 PM | Last Updated: October 14, 2012
The top three heaviest gourds will be sent to New York for display
A small town in Cape Breton weighed one of the biggest pumpkins in the world Saturday afternoon.
Hundreds of people turned out for the annual pumpkin weigh-in in Millville, N.S.
Many on hand were interested in one pumpkin in particular, a monster grown by Carl Graham of Donkin, N.S.
Graham's pumpkin was in the running to break the world record for the heaviest pumpkin, set by American Ron Wallace from Greene, R.I. earlier in the week.
Though the Cape Breton pumpkin was a monster, weighing in at a massive 821.5 kilograms, it wasn't enough to topple Wallace's record-setting 911.3 kilogram behemoth.
Graham's pumpkin was so large, it took more than an hour to get the massive gourd into place to weigh it using a crane.
It was tricky business, the pumpkin had to be intact — without any blemishes — for it to qualify. In the end, Graham's pumpkin came in third.
"Just so exciting, I still can't believe it although the pumpkin went a little lighter than I would have liked, it's 1811 pounds [821.5 kilograms]," said Graham.
"I still can't help be very pleased and very happy with what I just did."
If no international challengers knock Graham out of the top three, then Oct. 20 he and his pumpkin will be in New York. The three heaviest pumpkins in the world will be carved by master carvers and put on display at the New York Botanical Garden.