John Barenie from Griffith, Ind., claimed first place for the second consecutive year and the third time overall at the fair's Giant Pumpkin Contest.

The prize-winning pumpkin weighed in at 1,293 pounds, topping John Van Hook’s second-place entry by 208 pounds.

Barenie's pumpkin fell 15 pounds shy of his own state record, which he set last year.

“It feels so great to win again,” Barenie said in a news release. “Seasons can be tough, so you never what you’re going to get. You can’t take anything for granted.”

The Indiana Pumpkin Growers Association awarded Barenie with a $1,000 check and a trophy.