What Do Cows Have to Do with the Indy 500? More Than You’d Think!

May 23, 2025
By Denise Faguy
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Milking the Moment: Pato O’Ward’s Pre-Race Ritual

Start your engines—and grab a milk pail! The 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is zooming into action this Sunday, May 25, but before the tires hit the track, there’s an udderly delightful tradition that brings a little farm flair to the fast lane.

Each year, rookie drivers at the Indy 500 are invited to milk a cow at the Fastest Rookie Luncheon. Why? Well, it’s not just for the moo-ment—it’s become a bit of a good luck charm! Since Alexander Rossi won the 100th Indy 500 in 2016 (after milking a cow, of course), every winner has followed suit.

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward missed his chance to milk a cow during his rookie year due to COVID. But when he found out about the dairy-driven winning streak, he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip through his hands—again.

Thanks to the American Dairy Association Indiana and Silverstone Farms in Greenfield, Indiana, Pato got his wish. This morning, he proudly milked Rihanna the cow, nicknamed Ri Ri, right at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with some helpful instructions from Ri Ri's owner.

As for the race lineup: Robert Shwartzman snagged the pole position for Prema Racing, while Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward are revving up right beside him in the front row. Will Pato’s dairy detour lead to victory? We’ll have to wait and see—but one thing’s for sure: he’s got the cream of the crop on his side.

Pato O'Word Milks Rihanna the cow

Good luck on Sunday Pato!

Video: Season 6, Episode 7: Takeaways from the Second International Conference on Pig Livability

This year’s conference fostered open, engaging conversations around current research in the swine industry, bringing together hundreds of attendees from 31 states and six countries. Two leaders who helped organize the event joined today’s episode: Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and swine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, and Dr. Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University. They share key takeaways from the conference, including the importance of integrating data when evaluating whole-herd livability, building a culture of care among employees and adopting new technologies. Above all, the discussion reinforces that this industry remains, at its core, a people business.