The celebrated frogs are back in their ponds and a 4-year-old Gorham boy has bragging rights now that the Gorham Summer Festival’s frog-jumping contest is in the record books.

Matthew Phinney, son of Town Councilor Mike Phinney and his wife Kim, won the contest Saturday with his entry, a frog he called Legz. The frog outjumped Lucky Lady, entered by Maren Root, to win the finals. Phinney plucked Legz from his grandfather’s pond.

Phinney was confident in Legz’s ability from the start.

“I thought I would win,” said Phinney.

The contest was a highlight of annual Gorham Summer Festival, which was, by all accounts, a success. Even a mid-afternoon thundershower didn’t dampen the spirit of the festivities, which featured food, crafts, demonstrations, music, dancing and fireworks.

The frogs arrived in a variety of containers – one was even labeled a condo. Gorham Recreation Department staff organized and matched up the entries. The contest was held in the Frog Arena, a painted table with marked lanes.

Cindy Hazelton, recreation director, said those entering frogs could assist the jumpers by blowing on them or by pounding the table to coax the frogs along the course. A large turnout of parents and other spectators circled around the table.

Several frogs hopped off the table, sending kids scrambling into the crowd to retrieve their frogs.

The frogs had creative names, which included Kermit, Godzilla, Pickles’ Revenge, Spottie Jr. and Lumpy. Power Ranger was the name of the frog entered by Nicholas Phinney, 2, Matthew’s brother.

Doodle was entered by three sisters, Gia Libby, 7, Kyaunna Libby, 11, and Ayla Libby, 13. They said their mom named Doodle but, hearing the name, the trio created the phrase “move your caboodle Doodle.”

The three daughters of James and Christy Meacham entered three frogs. The girls are Stefanie, 5, Ashley, 3, and Michelle, 20 months.

Armed with flashlights Friday evening, the Meachams caught the frogs they named Katie, Mr. Green and Jeremiah in a pond in front of their house.

“We wondered what the neighbors thought,” Christy Meacham said with a laugh.

There wasn’t much time to train entries for the big jump. Ben Nault, 6, caught his frog, Zeek, just before Saturday’s festival parade at 10 a.m. Alisha Deering, 12, plucked Hopper from a pond near the Gorham Middle School early Saturday, but Hopper was apparently a bit reluctant to leave home. “He tried to jump out of the net,” she said.

Another Hopper survived a harrowing experience at home Saturday morning. A curious kitten pulled Hopper from a plastic container at home earlier that morning. “We found him in the mudroom,” said Casey Kovacs, 5.

Kovacs and her sister, Isabelle, 4, also entered a frog named Frankie. The girls have had their pair of frogs for 18 months. “We bought them at a store,” said their dad, Craig Kovacs.

Doug Forrester and his three children, Krysten, 12, Justin, 8, and Cailyn, 6, took three frogs nabbed in a pond near home to the contest. Forrester said seven frogs escaped their grasp before coming up with Kermit, Godzilla and Puff’n Stuff. The fast, smart ones eluded the net, Forrester said.

With a TV camera whirring and people cheering, the frogs leaped into the spotlight. When it was over, the frogs returned to homes.

“Let’s put them back in Bumpa’s pond,” Kim Phinney told her children.

Cutline (frog winner 2)