It was not Abbie Herr’s first Indianapolis 500, but it still felt historic to her.
“It was the first time Alex Palou ever won on an oval track, and having a sold-out crowd — just to be part of that history was so amazing,” Herr said. “And then once I came off Victory Circle, I looked down and saw my daughters down there watching, and that just made me very emotional because they got to share in this moment.”
The reason she was in Victory Circle? She was the veteran milk presenter on behalf of Herr Dairy Farm of Kendallville, a fourth-generation farm and Noble REMC member. She presented Palou with the traditional winning glass of milk. It’s a celebration carried on each year by the American Dairy Association Indiana Inc.
Her involvement feels like a full circle moment — no pun intended.
Herr’s dad’s side of the family has been attending the Indianapolis 500 since the 1960s, with seats on Turn 4. When she got the chance to take a ride around the track before the big day in May, she felt her family all around her.
“My grandpa is no longer with us, but when we went around in the two-seater and hit Turn 4, all I could think about was my grandpa sitting up there in the stands, and I just kept smiling, thinking of his love for racing.”
Herr felt the joy of carrying on that tradition and the thrill of representing them on a big stage, as she was surrounded by her cheering mom, dad, brother, sister, husband and daughters.
But nothing was as meaningful as witnessing her daughters’ experiences at the event. She jokes that milk is in her blood, and it looks like that’s carrying on to the next generation.
“I can already see that they have the passion for the dairy community, and I love that they got to see that and see us represent it. I hope that inspires them to maybe one day want to be up in Victory Circle.”
And she did them proud. While her biggest concern was dropping the milk in front of everyone, including the millions watching on television, she represented the dairy community and northeast Indiana perfectly with a huge smile on her face and cow-print sneakers on her feet.
“I’m so proud I got to do it and represent Herr Dairy Farm. It’s still so surreal to me that I got that opportunity,” Herr said. “This is the top of the top.”