Teacher wins pumpkin weigh-off with massive 1,121kg squash just in time for Halloween

A teacher has claimed victory in a pumpkin weigh-off with an enormous 1,121kg squash.

Travis Gienger, who teaches horticulture, spent several months nurturing the massive fruit before entering it in the highly regarded competition.

At 44 years old, Gienger managed to outdo his nearest rival by a margin of 6lbs (2.7kg), securing his win at the 51st World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Northern California on Friday, October 11th.

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His winning pumpkin, which he named Rudy, tipped the scales at a staggering 2,471lbs (1,121kg), according to a report by VKNews24.

Gienger credits his victory to maintaining healthy soil, providing adequate nutrition to the plants, and ensuring a warm growing environment.

On the morning of the competition, he shared a photo of Rudy on Instagram.

The post has since attracted hundreds of likes and comments.

In the picture, Travis is seen smiling beside the gigantic pumpkin, which had been loaded into the back of a trailer for transport.

He captioned the post with: “Thanks everyone, I can finally relax a little now that we’re loaded up and I’ve had a glimpse of the bottom.

“I hadn’t seen the blossom end for 100 days.

“Thanks for joining in on the ‘guess the weight’ game – we didn’t pre-weigh, so we’ll find out Rudy’s official weight on Monday!

“Good luck to everyone competing this weekend!”

Beth commented: “Safe travels, Rudy!”

Oliver added: “Good luck, Travis.”

Another commenter joked: “Safe drive, dude! Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!”

Noah wrote: “Awesome camera angle. That thing looks absolutely massive!”

Van chimed in with: “You betcha!”

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SOURCE: Teacher wins giant pumpkin weigh-off with 1,121kg fruit just in time for Halloween