Maverick the 2,560lb pumpkin triumphs in ‘Super Bowl’ of gourd fests

Rhinoceros-size Minnesota native wins big in California and will compete once more before being retired to stud

Growers from across the country descended on the California coast carrying with them some of the world's most gargantuan pumpkins.

The giant pumpkin weigh-off, held annually ahead of Half Moon Bay's pumpkin festival just south of San Francisco, is considered by competitors to be a Super Bowl of sorts in the unique sport, and the behemoths entered this year - some weighing as much as an average rhinoceros - did not disappoint.