WHEATLAND, Calif. — In the end it was a battle of the out-of-state growers Saturday in California. An enormous pumpkin nicknamed “Fordzilla,” grown by Russ Pugh, of Eugene, Ore., weighed in at 2,204.5 pounds to take the $15,000 first place prize in one of North America’s most prestigious pumpkin contests, the National Pumpkin Weigh Off at Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland, Calif.
“It’s an incredible amount of work to grow huge pumpkins,” Pugh said. “I’ve been doing this for 24 years. I was second here last year and finally took it home this year. I really did not think I was going to win based on the competition. The greatest thing about growing is the friendships, the best growers are willing to work together, collaborate and share a whole world of knowledge. I have an events background and I truly appreciate what this Weigh Off team has created here.”
Brad Bledsoe, of Fort Collins, Colorado took home second place, with a 2123.5 pound giant name “Sasquash”, winning $6000. Bledsoe’s winning pumpkin also happened to be a very pretty pumpkin, and was awarded the coveted Howard Dill award by the judges for an extra $500. Bledsoe missed breaking his own Colorado State record by 67 pounds…