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Topsfield, MA October 2, 1999
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Well, this is it... the weigh-off we have been waiting for. The biggest one in New England.
Coke is putting up $10,000 for the largest pumpkin over 1,000 pounds! Will that prize be claimed
this year? With the severe drought and heat we had this year in New England most people seemed to think
the 1,000 pound barrier was not going to be achieved. However, Hugh Wiberg did mention to the
crowd at Topsfield that several very large pumpkins over 800 pounds broke down within the last
week prior to the event.
This was our first time attending the Topsfield weigh-off
and it was fantastic! Everyone was very friendly and the event was run smoothly. We had the opportunity
to meet some big name growers from all over New England. During the show we were
taking lots of pictures and video. We hope to post some of the video soon. We tried to keep track of the
results the best we could. There were several write-ins so these results are
very unofficial.
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From this vantage point it is easy to see how fierce the competition is. We have never seen so many huge
pumpkins in one spot before! This shot also gives you a sense of how loose the atmosphere was. We were
able to wander up to any pumpkin on the floor. Growers were happy to talk about tips, techniques, and
tribulations they had this season. It was really a blast milling around watching the growers sizing up
the competition.
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This is the Leader Board that was updated every time a new pumpkin weighed more than the current heavyweight.
You could see everyone's eyes dart back and forth from this board to the scale's digital readout every time a
big one was loaded.
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You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to get this shot. Everyone with a camera was crowding around trying to
get a glimpse of the winners and their prize pumpkins. Although the competition was fierce, it was a very tough year.
This fact is all too evident when you consider the largest pumpkin was under 800 pounds. The $10,000 prize will have
to wait until next year.
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Dan Kruszyna and his son with their third place finishing 773.8 lb. pumpkin. Dan is one of
several "heavy hitters" from western Massachusetts. Oh, by the way, we just love
the "My life is Giant Pumpkins" tee-shirt!
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This is Bob and Sue McNamee and Danny from Tolland Connecticut with their 774.6 lb. pumpkin
which finished in 2nd place. Bob and Sue are the current Connecticut state record holders with
their last years 776.5 pounder. Talk about consistency! Great job.
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The WINNER! The Daignault family from Hinsdale Massachusetts with their 781.6 lb. pumpkin.
That is one heck of a check too...$3,500 first prize. Congratulations, excellent job!
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Here are some other photos we snapped at the Topsfield '99 weigh-off. Click on the thumbnail
to view the full sized photo.
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