Giant pumpkins stolen!

[Dogwatcher]

SECURITY TIGHTENS AS COMPETITION PUMPKINS STOLEN


The Murray River Giant Pumpkin competition is only a week away and the $500.00 cash prize for the heaviest pumpkin has prompted thefts in the Riverland of prized giant pumpkins ready for judging.

Two giant pumpkins have been stolen last week ready and waiting to be entered in the Murray River Giant Pumpkin Competition at the Cadell Easter Harvest Festival on Easter Saturday.

A giant pumpkin weighing over 100 kgs was stolen from a property in Monash in the early hours of the morning on Saturday 20th March. Fruit grower, Neville Gilles inspected his pumpkins at 6.00 a.m. and discovered the cut runner still dripping from his prized competition entry.

“I am very upset and have placed a lot of hours of over the past 4 months to get the pumpkin to that size. I even imported seeds from America and it took 3 months to get them through customs. It certainly was the biggest and best of the pumpkins I have grown for the Cadell competition”, said Neville.

As an experienced giant pumpkin grower Neville believes his weight estimation is correct and is extremely disappointed with the loss and potential winner in the heaviest pumpkin category at the Cadell Easter Harvest Festival.

Neville added, “My next door neighbour had his sprinklers stolen a few weeks ago and placed a sign on his property that he wanted them back and amazingly, his sprinklers were returned. I have now placed a sign on my property ‘Can I have my pumpkin back please because I need it!!’ in the hope my pumpkin will be returned”.

Loxton high school students came to school on Monday to discover their prized giant pumpkin had also been stolen. Ag Teacher, Sandy Loffler was telephoned by the school groundsman on Saturday 20th March to ascertain whether the pumpkin had been moved as was missing. No-one at the school had moved the pumpkin so another theft had taken place on the same day as the Monash pumpkin or the evening before.




Sandy Loffler said, “Students were enjoying the project and watching it grow and the enormous size it was reaching. We are devastated that someone could do such a thing with all the hard work the students did nurturing the pumpkin. As teachers we could not believe the excitement it caused amongst the students with comments such as, ‘It’s massive - what a tank’ and to now lose it with the competition only a week away is extremely disappointing.”

“The stolen pumpkin was our best out of three with one rotting and the other very small. The pumpkin was too big to move by hand and it would have needed a pallet to shift it on”, Sandy further added.

Security has now tightened with some growers not wishing to be named to ensure their prized pumpkins arrive safely on the day and they have their chance of winning the attractive $500.00 cash prized donated by MGA Insurance Brokers.

Will the winner of the Murray River Giant Pumpkin Competition beat the world record of 1725 pounds (750.5kg) which was weighed in at the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers weigh off in America on October 3rd, 2009.

Giant pumpkin entries must be at the Cadell oval on Easter Saturday from 1.30 p.m with the festival commencing at 3.00 p.m. Winners will be announced at 5.00 p.m.

The annual Cadell Easter Harvest Festival is a fantastic family fun day out with cockroaching racing, grape catching, Easter egg hunt and jumping castles for the children, carp throwing, food/craft stalls, bar facilties and much more.

Entrants in the scarecrow competition will be your personal guides and direct you to the Cadell oval. Entry is only $3.00 and children under 16 are free. Festival commences at 3.00 p.m. and concludes at 8.00 p.m.

Visit the Murray River this Easter and don’t miss the Cadell Easter Harvest Festival on Easter Saturday at Cadell oval presented by the Cadell Community and Tourist Association.

[redden whites]

It's got be be Flo from Queensland surely.

[Booney]

Anyone seen with a 200kg pumpkin should not be approached, police have said.

The suspect is considered by police to be farmed and dangerous.

[Gingernuts]

It's got be be Flo from Queensland surely.

Mate, that would be a hell of a batch of scones!

[wycbloods]

Anyone seen with a 200kg pumpkin should not be approached, police have said.

The suspect is considered by police to be farmed and dangerous.

[CK]

First pictures of the prime suspect so far: