At the recent Port Elgin Pumpkinfest, Jeff Warner, an Ontario grower from Englehart, arrived with his massive 1,711-pound pumpkin hoping for a shot at a top prize. However, he was ultimately disqualified from the giant vegetable weigh-off due to a small soft spot on the pumpkin.
Despite knowing about the strict rules regarding entry conditions, Warner decided to make the nine-hour journey to the fair with his enormous gourd. He attempted to salvage the pumpkin by scraping away at the soft spot during the trip, but the hole continued to expand with each stop.
Upon reaching the festival, a judge informed Warner that the hole in the pumpkin exceeded the allowable size for qualification, leading to his disqualification. Warner expressed disappointment but acknowledged the importance of adhering to the competition rules.
The winning pumpkin weighed 1,542 pounds, approximately 170 pounds less than Warner’s impressive entry. Despite not clinching the top prize, Warner remains proud of the effort he put into nurturing his giant pumpkins each year.
His colossal pumpkin continues to attract attention, with families stopping by to admire and take photos with it. Warner plans to repurpose the pumpkin by feeding it to polar bears in a polar habitat located a few hours north of his current location.
