ANDREA SEABROOK, host:
Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, at least all of you who listened to yesterday's All Things Considered, the story of competitive pumpkin grower Steve Connolly. He competed today in the annual pumpkin weigh-off. And I talked to him earlier just as the competition was wrapping up. Mr. Connolly, did you win?
Mr. STEVE CONNOLLY (Engineer): Yes, I should.
SEABROOK: Congratulations.
Mr. CONNOLLY: Yeah, I grew the largest pumpkin in the world this year. It's a 1,568 lb pumpkin.
SEABROOK: I know that you were up against the previous world record holder here, Joe Jutras.
Mr. CONNOLLY: Actually, I'm up against the last two previous world record holders. That's from the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers. We've held the world record the last two years in a row.
SEABROOK: Proving that there's a club for everything. What is the name of the club again? SEABROOK: Why pumpkins?
Mr. CONNOLLY: Pumpkins are big. That's why.
SEABROOK: Good answer.
Mr. CONNOLLY: Yes, I'm just learning as we're speaking that they might be calling it an exhibition pumpkin. They're questioning the legality of it right now.
SEABROOK: Why?
Mr. CONNOLLY: Well, people are tapping me on the shoulder saying that they might have discovered a small crack in a pumpkin. So, I'm in holding pattern. I have to get input from the judges, but it's still the biggest one ever grown in the world this year.
SEABROOK: Steve Connolly, good luck.
Mr. CONNOLLY: All right. I'll need it because these judges are pretty strict.
SEABROOK: All right. Pumpkin master Steve Connolly speaking with us from the Frerichs Farm Annual Pumpkin Weight Off in Warren, Rhode Island. Thank you, Mr. Connolly.
Mr. CONNOLLY: Yup. Thank you very much.
In the end, Steve Connolly was disqualified because of that little crack. Cheer up, Steve. There is still time to carve a really big jackal lantern. In the spirit of the great pumpkin, we give our parting words tonight to Charlie Brown. He wrote, there are three things in life that people like to stare at - a flowing stream, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni clearing the ice. Thats All Things Considered. I'm Andrea Seabrook. Have a great Saturday night. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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