Re: WPC rules. Fair?
Well said........
----- Original Message -----
From: "Smithhisler, Paul" <Paul.Smithhisler@dnr.state.oh.us>
To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 1:31 PM
Subject: RE: WPC rules. Fair?
> Let me just say that the date that the Whittier pumpkin was weighed is not
> at all in question here, nor are the rules of the GPC.
>
> It is a rule in ALL pumpkin weigh-offs that the pumpkin is sound, whether
it
> is weighed in August or November. There is no one arguing that if Bruce's
> pumpkin was sound when he weighed it on his certified scale, that it would
> be an official record, recognized by the state, province, pumpkin
> organizations or Guinness.
>
> This is a hobby/sport where we have a lot of good people trying to have
fun
> and be the best they can be. We all try to play by the rules. Bruce knew
> that one of our rules is that the fruit must be sound to be officially
> recognized. Tim Bailey, Al Eaton, Larry Checkon and John Girgus have each
> had 1100+ pumpkins without winning any prize money or 'official'
recognition
> due to splits or holes. It does not take away from their accomplishment;
it
> just removes them from the competition for prizes. I believe this rule
was
> established due to cheating, or the fear there-of. While I do not suspect
> any of these gentlemen of ANY wrongdoing, they still have to live by the
> established rules. They are great men for doing so in a professional
> manner.
>
> We as pumpkin growers cannot control how Guinness establishes their
records.
> Their current record is Gerry Checkon's 1131# fruit, which has been
> surpassed by 15 fruit that are officially recognized by pumpkin
> organizations and four others that were not! All we can control is our
own
> contests and rules, and our own integrity. More importantly, we need to
> recognize each grower's efforts, official or not.
>
> -Gus
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Smith [u*@ureach.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 8:52 AM
> To: Lubadub@aol.com
> Subject: WPC rules. Fair?
>
> Hi,
>
> It should be noted that the Whittier pumpkin was a sound pumpkin
> according to WPC rules up until the point that the split was
> noticed by Bruce. If he had pulled the pumpkin at some time
> before that had happened and had it weighed and it had surpassed
> the current world record, then he should have had both titles
> (Guiness and WPC). Since, as I understand it, there is no
> provision for official recognition of a pumpkin by the WPC that
> was weighed early except if it was at an official event (WPC or
> GPC or State Fair), he was forced to wait until some such event
> was offered.
>
> All pumpkins (and vegetables) will eventually rot given enough
> passage of time. Some will last a long time and some others a
> short time. So, in my point of view, the WPC sanctioned events
> represents a contest between those pumpkins that can last the
> longest without having some defect occur until a few rather
> arbitrary dates (the first Saturday in October for example).
> The contests do not necessarily determine the biggest pumpkin
> that year. If the dates for the weigh-offs were pushed back to
> the first weekend in November, how many more pumpkins might
> develop problems and thus be disqualified from being the largest
> pumpkin? If the dates for the weigh-offs were advanced to the
> first weekend in September, how many more pumpkins might be
> included in the race for the biggest pumpkin that might still be
> considered sound? I am not sure what makes the first weekend
> date in October such a fair date. Growers in the south(e.g.
> Florida or Georgia or Arizona) and perhaps other areas of the
> country with longer growing seasons might prefer a November
> weekend instead. Growers in Canada or Alaska might prefer the
> September dates. The November dates would give those southern
> growers extra time to put on those last extra pounds. Who is to
> say they don't have the right to do so if their plants are still
> growing? The Canada growers might want to get the pumpkins
> weighed in September to keep any possible rot (or weight loss)
> from developing in their pumpkins since their pumpkins may have
> already stopped growing and are mature.
>
> During the year that Larry Checkon had his 1100+lb pumpkin, if
> he had had the opportunity to pull his pumpkin early(before the
> Dill Ring had been able to break through) and have it officially
> weighed, then he would have had a sound pumpkin and had the
> world's largest pumpkin at that time. Was it a sound pumpkin?
> Up until the problem, then it sure was it my view.
>
> The only mistake that Bruce Whittier made in my view was not
> pulling his pumpkin before the split occurred and having it
> weighed on certified scales. He probably wanted it to get even
> bigger (don't we all) but he was also hamstrung by the WPC rules
> about when he could get it "offically" weighed. The Guiness
> people are under no such restrictions. They are looking for the
> biggest pumpkin even with the problem. If Bruce had pulled the
> pumpkin before the split, and it had weighed more than Charlie
> Houghton's, what would the WPC position be then? We already
> know what the Guiness position would be. The same as it is
> now.
>
> Comments appreciated.
>
> Steve Smith
> Harrison, TN
>
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