Presenting a celebratory beverage

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — For 90 years, milk has been the beverage of champions at the renowned Indianapolis 500, and the tradition continued this year as Indiana dairy farmer Ashley Stockwell presented winning driver, Felix Rosenqvist, with a bottle of ice-cold milk in the victory circle.

“You really can’t put into words the feelings; there’s so much tradition and excitement,” Stockwell said. “There is so much wrapped up in American traditions, that you really feel the freedom, everything that our country has been built upon, is lived out in the race.”

Stockwell and her husband, Kyle, are the third generation of Kyle’s family at Stockwell Farm, near Hudson, where they milk 850 cows. In addition to working on the family farm, Stockwell holds a seat on the American Dairy Association Indiana board of directors as well as on both the National Dairy Board and Dairy Management Inc.

“I grew up as a fifth-generation row crop farmer,” Stockwell said. “I became a dairy farmer when I met my husband 17 years ago, so it’s been a really big deal to (immerse) myself in dairy. Being able to raise our kids on the farm has been such a blessing, to show them what it means to grow up on the farm and develop the work ethic. Watching them embrace the life we’ve grown to love is something I’m so passionate about.”

Under the slogan, “Winners Drink Milk,” Stockwell represented Indiana dairy farmers as the veteran milk presenter, alongside the rookie milk presenter, Brian Rexing, to make the winning presentation to Rosenqvist.

The presentation of milk to the race’s victorious driver dates back to 1936, when driver Louis Meyer requested buttermilk to quench his post-race thirst. From there, the tradition has grown into an iconic promotion of milk and dairy farmers, with more than 250,000 people watching the exchange in person, and millions more watching the televised event.

“As an Indiana native, I’ve always known the Indy 500 was a big deal and that the winners drank milk,” Stockwell said. “But it wasn’t until the past 10 years or so that I fully recognized and appreciated that (that) was an Indiana dairy farmer out there representing the nearly 700 Indiana dairy farmers.”

Armed with a new understanding of the magnitude of the event, Stockwell began to consider how she could help promote the industry by applying to represent the dairy industry in the victory circle for the 110th running of the race. She was selected to serve as the rookie-elect for the 2024 race, where she watched that year’s veteran and rookie handle their duties, serving as media ambassadors and purveyors of the celebratory milk, before serving as the rookie in 2025 and the veteran in 2026.

“When I first brought it up, my husband really encouraged me to apply,” Stockwell said. “He thought it would be so cool for me to represent our farm, for our kids to watch me represent our entire industry on such a big stage. I figured it was a long shot that I’d be selected, but when I was, it was so humbling.”

When the United Nations General Assembly declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, Stockwell said she felt the magnitude of what she was doing grow.

“When I was selected, I don’t think anybody knew that designation was in our future,” Stockwell said. “The fact that it all lined up, to be a female representing our industry this year, means a lot to me, my family and our family’s dairy farm.”

Stockwell admitted that when she first applied, she did not have a true understanding of what being a presenter meant.

“I had no idea what it entailed besides presenting the milk to the winner in victory circle,” Stockwell said. “There’s so much more that goes into it, all of the media coverage beforehand. … The entire day is filled with a lot of excitement. We got picked up and had a police escort to the track. We spent roughly three hours doing media interviews the day of the race.”

With 25 laps to go, Stockwell and Rexing were escorted to the victory circle, where Stockwell prepared to present the winning driver his milk and Rexing prepared to do the same for the winning crew chief and owner.

“It was the closest finish in the history of the race,” Stockwell said. “Where we were standing, preparing to present the milk, we couldn’t even tell who had won at first. You really can’t put into words what that moment means, as dairy farmers.”

Stockwell said the emotion welled up as she made parallels between what she was witnessing and her own life.

“You watch someone who’s raced most of their life, they work hard at it, all the time,” Stockwell said. “It’s the same thing we do as dairy farmers, it’s 24/7/365 to do what we love. To be able to watch those two worlds collide in one platform, and you’re celebrating together, there just aren’t many words that you can use to describe that.”

The analogy continued for Stockwell, as she thought about the support staff both race car drivers and dairy farmers require.

“There are a lot of similarities,” Stockwell said. “To be able to use that analogy to share the story, telling others where their food comes from is great. Those drivers need their pit crew team, just like we do on the farm — our nutritionists, veterinarians (and) agronomists, the list goes on and on.”

The experience was more than a memory she will hold for the rest of her life, Stockwell said.

“I’ve learned to become a better promoter,” she said. “(I am) more confident and comfortable (to) tell our industry’s story to the general public. Very few people actually know a farmer, and most have no idea where their food comes from. It’s important for the public to see how we care for our animals and our land. This whole experience has helped me amplify my message and do a better job of getting it out there.”