A Virginia man has slurped down 40 dozen oysters to claim victory at this year's World Oyster Eating Championship in New Orleans.
Darron Breeden of Orange, Virginia, ate 480 of the bivalves in eight minutes in Sunday's Oyster Festival event, NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports.
About 4,000 south Louisiana oysters were prepared and shuttled tray by tray to a table laden with hot sauce, beer and other drinks. The seven contestants hunched over the checked tabletop as judges in striped shirts kept careful count, turning over a new number with each dozen consumed.
As time ran out, Breeden stretched his stomach, which would soon be encircled by the oyster-festooned championship belt. Defending champion Michelle Lesco of Arizona won second place with 27 dozen oysters, while New Orleans native Adrian Morgan came in third with 26 dozen.
