WARREN, R.I. — In a feat of horticultural mastery that has left onlookers and officials stunned, a Rhode Island man has shattered the world record for the heaviest pumpkin. On Saturday, Ron Wallace of Coventry unveiled a gargantuan gourd at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, tipping the scales at an unprecedented 3,156 pounds.
The entry not only dominated the local competition in Warren but also marked a historic milestone in the world of competitive giant vegetable growing: it is the first pumpkin in recorded history to officially weigh in at over 3,000 pounds.
“It’s truly massive, it was a pleasure to grow,” Wallace told The Associated Press on Monday. Recounting the moment the scale settled on the historic number, he added, “I was just ecstatic, the place just exploded.”
While the weight has been confirmed by event officials, the colossal pumpkin must now undergo the rigorous certification process by Guinness World Records before it can be officially etched into the history books. Should the weight be verified, Wallace will comfortably eclipse the current world record set just days ago on Oct. 3, when United Kingdom resident Ian Paton presented a 2,856-pound pumpkin nicknamed “Bagheera” at a weigh-off in Berkshire.
Wallace is no stranger to the upper echelons of competitive gardening. His career is marked by a history of pushing the physical limits of plant growth. In 2012, he achieved international acclaim by becoming the first person to grow a pumpkin exceeding 2,000 pounds. He continued his streak of dominance in 2019, when he produced a then-record 2,114-pound specimen.
For his latest achievement, Wallace took home a $3,500 prize. However, for the veteran grower, the thrill of the challenge appears to outweigh the financial reward. The sheer scale of this year’s entry—over 500 pounds heavier than his previous record-setting attempt—suggests that Wallace has tapped into new methods for optimizing growth, fueling speculation about how much larger these pumpkins can realistically become.
As the gardening community awaits formal certification from Guinness, the 3,156-pound titan is being hailed as a new benchmark for the sport. For now, the “Great Pumpkin” from Coventry stands as a testament to patience, precise cultivation, and perhaps a bit of agricultural magic, firmly cementing its place in the pumpkin pantheon.
The successful weigh-in serves as a crowning achievement for the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, which has once again proven to be a global destination for the most ambitious cultivators in the world. As of Monday, Guinness officials have yet to provide an exact timeline for the final verification of the record.
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