A grower from Ontario, Jeff Warner, had a massive 1,711-pound pumpkin that he entered into the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest competition. Despite his hopes for a top prize, he was disqualified due to a soft spot on the pumpkin, which violated the contest’s strict rules on entry conditions.

Warner, undeterred by the soft spot, decided to make the long nine-hour journey to the fair with his giant pumpkin in tow. Despite his efforts to salvage the pumpkin by scraping away at the soft spot during the journey, it continued to deteriorate, ultimately leading to disqualification upon arrival at the festival.

The judges at the Pumpkinfest informed Warner that the hole caused by the soft spot exceeded the allowable size for qualification, leaving him disappointed but understanding of the rules. The winning pumpkin weighed 1,542 pounds, falling short of Warner’s impressive giant pumpkin weight.

Although Warner did not win the competition, his dedication to growing giant pumpkins has attracted attention from visitors who stop by to admire and take photos with his colossal gourd. Warner plans to take the pumpkin to a polar habitat to feed it to the polar bears, giving the giant pumpkin a second life after its disqualification from the contest.