The fattest pumpkin in Europe comes from Belgium

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• This year's European Pumpkin Growers' Championship goes to Belgium.
• With his 1,152 kilograms, he relegated the German champion Matthias Würsching from Einhausen in Hesse (997.5 kilograms) to second place.
• The pumpkin will be on display up to and including Thursday, but will then be taken back to Belgium to take part in another competition.

Summary created with

Belgian pumpkin grower Mario van Geel came out on top at the European pumpkin weighing championships in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart with a massive specimen weighing several tons. With his 1,152 kilogram pumpkin, he relegated the German champion Matthias Würsching from Einhausen in Hesse (997.5 kilograms) to second place. Third-placed David Frommelt also comes from Germany (949.5 kilograms).

The Belgian van Geel had already won the European title in 2019. Luca Stöckl from Bavaria was successful last year.

Europe's largest pumpkins are weighed every year at the show weighing at the pumpkin exhibition at the Blühenden Barock Ludwigsburg. Breeders from Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium take part.

Belgian Mario van Geel celebrates his victory at the European Pumpkin Weighing Championships. His pumpkin weighs 1152 kg.

Christoph Schmidt/dpa/Keystone

Traditionally, the giant pumpkins are carved together with numerous other specimens at the slaughter festival at the end of the exhibition, while others are styled into oversized works of art at the carving festival on October 20.

This year, this does not apply to the new European champion pumpkin from Belgium: it will be on display up to and including Thursday, but will then be taken back to Belgium to take part in another competition.