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Location

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Date Posted

2453.00    Sherwood, Jim    United States    Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Weigh-off    2069 Stelts    1620 Pritchard    9.0    Howard Dill Award
2369.50    Werner, Quinn    United States    Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-off    1865 Werner    2447.1 Cutrupi    22.0    Howard Dill Award
2342.50    Andrusz, Scott    United States    World Pumpkin Weigh-off    2554 Andrusz    1975 Fleser    15.0    Howard Dill Award
2158.30    Paton, Ian & Stuart    United Kingdom    Concurso Internacional de Calabazas Gigantes de Valtierra    1727 Jacobus 2022    2907 Paton 2022 DMG    -7.0    Howard Dill Award

10/19/2024 5:57:17 PM

Nova Scotia

Absolutely amazing there spudder good observation. I made a comment today to someone that GPC may have to set the bar higher for the HD Award, such as 1,000 lbs. minimum? Just so heart warming and honored how many growers today try to win this award. But then again we need to think about our future growers such as the last 40 years or so.

10/19/2024 7:24:34 PM

Brooktondale, New York

Interesting thoughts. You have seens thousands of pumpkins in your life, do you think increasing the weight would sacrifice other traditional judgement standardized requirements? ie shape. It seems a few sites struggle to meet some of the current characteristics. I wonder what the mathematical weight and percent heavy is that holds its shape. Weight vs shape. The other question is, are sites required to hand out a HD award? Or if nothing matches the criteria than can the award is help? Should the bar shifted directly to correlated with the average weights that way the HD award is not falling behind the curve, ultimately locking in that the award would never grow stagnant? Then again will the weighs rise intrinsically as genetics shift weights naturally upward? Better yet maybe there is a new award handed out annually for the Grand Daddy HD award, one award for the entire world.. voted on by only the people who won HD awards that season. Now that would push the award forward. Then again some pumpkins just look really really pretty at five oh one. We have all seen those ones.

10/19/2024 10:47:41 PM

Syracuse, NY

I could see the 2453 Sherwood winning a HDA.
IS there a 2342 Andrusz? I only could discover the 2342 Stelts.
I saw no pics of any but the 2453 Sherwood and the 2158.3 Paton.

ORANGE as HECK, pretty and over 500 pounds for wannabes like me and even children that can grow an ORANGE pumpkin, which is EVERYbody, lol and basically by luck alone, should remain the HDA. The two that were contenders at HMB this year were not obvious HDA contenders, IMHO but the other two were prime suspects. They were ORANGE and shapely. I was like "What???" There went my beliefs, as the audience had spoken.
I would think that the HDA is to represent the other facet of AGs, which is their universally-apparent-to-all beauty, rather than their magnificent-by-default size and weight...appealing to and determined by the General Public, not growers whom know all about other growers;
I mean, what growers would NOT vote for Jim Sherwood? eg

[Last edit: 10/20/24 2:11:59 AM]

10/20/2024 1:08:45 AM

Jericho Vermont

This shows the rebirth of orange into heavy genetics over the past 5 years. Let's hope that this continues! Go orange!

10/20/2024 7:11:57 AM

South Dakota

The HD is sought after particularly by smaller growers that for whatever reason are not able to grow a behemoth. To raise the bar to a higher minimum weight will effectively keep these, often times newer growers, from being able to participate in GPC events with some hope of bringing home any kind of prize. Leave things alone and let the chips fall were they may. Already the rule says in case of ties, the heavier pumpkin wins. Just like the jacket and heavy hitter requirements continue to increase, who are we trying keep out and why? It appears that if you are not a heavy hitter, the GPC would just as soon you drop out. These awards and recognitions are suppose to encourage growers, not discourage participation by continually raising the bar.

10/20/2024 8:40:02 AM

Grittyville, WA

This topic keeps coming up. If anyone cares what I think (and no one is obliged to) I'll share my thinking:

Its nice to recognize size but thats already being recognized so yeah I think an award for "prettiest" should be free from size. However, it seems the Howard Dill award isnt the same thing as a "prettiest" award ... its more of a true-to-form breeding award. Its not actually the prettiest dog that wins the dog show... its the one that is most exemplary in being true-to-form.

I think the 500 lb rule is ok as long as it is guidance for judging rather than a strict criteria. I think smaller pumpkins should be elligible as well and they should win if they are the more exemplary of good shape and color than the larger ones.

In the past I have been in favor of having the public choose the Howard Dill award but now I think that if you accept that the Howard Dill award is a breeding award, then it should be chosen by the growers...

On the other hand, a "prettiest pumpkin award" (not a Howard Dill award) should be chosen by the public and not be subject to any other criteria other than their affection.

[Last edit: 10/20/24 2:28:45 PM]

10/20/2024 2:24:38 PM