1,340 pounds: Stephens County grower smashes the Texas giant pumpkin record

Ryan Ethridge's giant pumpkin weighed in at 1,340 pounds on Oct. 24 at the Stephens County 4-H Trade Show, a new Texas record. A crane lifted it onto the scale near the courthouse in Breckenridge.

The previous state record was 995 pounds, set by a pumpkin grown in Brownfield and weighed in Breckenridge last year. Ethridge's own entry last year weighed 359 pounds.

He grew this year's pumpkin in Harpersville through 58 days over 100 degrees. At its peak it was putting on 30 to 50 pounds a day. The win came with a $3,000 prize.