Vaughns Share First Place
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Hal Vaughn (left) and Jerry Vaughn shared the blue ribbon for first place after the Biggest Melon Contest ended with a tie. Both melons weighed 163.9 pounds. The tie was the second in carnival history, in 1984 Lawrence Vaughn and Derrick Surrette tied for first with 61 pound melons.
WATER VALLEY – What are the odds? Two Vaughns, two melons and a tie in the Watermelon Carnival’s Largest Watermelon Contest. While not the first time in carnival history, it was the first since the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce started using digital scales.
Hal Vaughn’s melon hit the scales first during the noon contest.
“Mr. Hal, that melon is weighing in at 163.9 pounds,” Chamber volunteer Jackson Ward told the crowd. “That is a big one.”
And then there was a noticeable pause after Jerry Vaughn’s melon was placed on the scales.
Chamber volunteers Courtney Daniels and Hunter Edwards stared at the scale’s screen as Ward awaited the official word.
A close examination followed the weigh-in of the second 163.9 melon during Saturday’s Largest Melon Contest. Chamber volunteers (from left) Jackson Ward, Courtney Daniels and Hunter Edwards declared a tie for the second time in carnival history.
“Y’all, I have never seen this, but both of those melons are weighing in at 163.9 pounds,” Ward said after the scrutiny.
A tie was declared and the crowd erupted.
Interestingly both winning competitors had similar responses after the tie was pronounced.
“Thirty more minutes,” Hal Vaughn said, a reference to leaving the melon on the vine a little longer before pulling it for the contest.
“Just a little longer,” Jerry Vaughn agreed.
The giant Carolina Cross watermelons can grow an average of three or more pounds a day, and a few more minutes on the vine for either entry likely would have added another tenth of a pound and an outright win.
The fun continued with the auction for the top four melons, another annual tradition as money raised is dedicated to the Chamber’s annual Elliott Scholarship.
The high bids typically come from elected officials especially during an election year. With little opposition, Representative Tommy Reynolds purchased Kenny Harmon’s third place 60.4 pound melon for a $100. Senator Ben Suber got in on the action for the second place melon, also bidding $100 for Alan Rogers 124.7 pound melon.
The heavy-weight bidders, Bobby Turnage and Kim Herring Kidd, battled for the final melon until Turnage signaled that he was done.
Now it was time for the Vaughn melons, and the bidding was intense as Bobby Turnage, Daryl Burney, Michael Walton, Suber, Reynolds and others got in on the bidding. The first Vaughn melon easily made it past the $100 mark as Kim Hering Kidd drove up the price.
The line of light-weight bidders during the melon auction included (from left) Daryl Burney, Tommy Reynolds, Ben Suber and (far right) Michael Walton.
“I came here with the intention of buying the winning watermelon,” Kidd told the Herald. She added that she wanted to support her hometown, the Chamber of Commerce, Junior Auxiliary and all of the organizations involved with the carnival.
“This is a way for me to contribute since I don’t live here anymore,” Kidd added.
Kidd’s $200 bid earned her the first Vaughn melon, and now it was time for the real fun with the final melon on the auction block. Kidd made the other bidders sweat as the price ticked up past $200, and then upwards of $300. The bidding continued with only Kidd and Turnage battling for the final melon. The bidding stopped after Kidd’s $500, and she claimed the second Vaughn melon. The Chamber had raised a total of $900 for the scholarship fund and Kidd left with the first place melons. She knew she wasn’t leaving without the winning melon, she just didn’t know that would entail purchasing two giant melons!
Kim Herring Kidd purchased the winning Vaughn melons, spending $700 in the auction. She donated one of the melons to the Baptist Children’s Village and the other one was shared at Ingomar Baptist Church during a social promoting Sunday school.
