A North Bay engineer and gardening enthusiast won the top prize at an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Half Moon Bay after growing a giant jack-o’-lantern gourd weighing 2,346 pounds.

Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa clinched the victory Monday at the 52nd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.

Dawson pumped his arms in the air and sat his two children on top of the giant pumpkin — roughly the same weight as a small sedan or a large bison — after being crowned this year’s winner.

“My mind is kind of racing because I was in this position last year when I lost by 6 pounds,” he said in an interview.

Dawson, a manufacturing engineer at electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive, said he has been growing massive pumpkins for five years. Precision skills acquired at his job helped him with the ri

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