Photo gallery: Giant pumpkin contest in Vankleek Hill

One thousand pounds!

That’s the weight of this year’s biggest pumpkin as measured on October 3 in Vankleek Hill.

This year’s giant pumpkin contest saw 25 entries, which is twice the amount registered in 2008.

In the heavy hitter class, Louise Lauzon won with a massive 1,009-pound pumpkin.

Second place was J.P. Daoust at 442 pounds. Third place was Paul Lauzon, whose pumpkin weighted 332 pounds.

In the Intermediate class, David Proudfoot was awarded first and second place, for two pumpkins weighing 250 and 222 pounds.

Olive Moore won third place in that category with a 205.5-pound pumpkin. The ‘getting there’ class of awards saw David Proudfoot, Elsa Steward and Mavis McPhee recognized. Their entries weighed 145 pounds, 117 pounds and 113 pounds, respectively.

In the slow grower class, Tara MacWhirter won first place with a 99-pound pumpkin. Jeff Newton won second place with a 87.5-pound pumpkin and David Proudfoot — yes, a winner four times over this year — won third place with a 76.5-pound pumpkin. The smallest pumpkin of the day was brought by the MacWirter brothers, whose entry weighed only 2 ounces.

This is the fifth year the contest has been held. This year’s most enthusiastic grower award was given to first-prize winner Louise Lauzon.