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Holstein Cow Serves as Grand Marshal for Ohio State's 114th Homecoming Parade
Read the full articleA century after Ohio State students elected dairy cow Maudine Ormsby homecoming queen in a 1926 voting prank, a live Holstein from Wooster led Friday's parade as grand marshal. CFAES officials noted the cow is not a direct descendant of Maudine but honors her spirit.
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The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Ohio State kicks off homecoming weekend with parade, century-old cow tradition
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A Holstein cow served as grand marshal for Ohio State University's 114th Homecoming Parade on Friday evening, Oct. 9, 2026, commemorating the centennial of the university's most famous bovine royalty broadcast by WBNS-10TV.
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Ohio State's homecoming parade featured a four-legged grand marshal celebrating a century-old legend and generations of Buckeye families ahead of Saturday's game.
The parade stepped off at 6 p.m. ahead of Saturday's annual homecoming football game, 10TV reported.
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Ohio State's homecoming parade featured a four-legged grand marshal celebrating a century-old legend and generations of Buckeye families ahead of Saturday's game.
Why a cow is Ohio State's homecoming parade grand marshal
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Columbus television station NBC4 noted that the four-legged marshal served as a tribute to Maudine Ormsby, the prize-winning dairy cow crowned homecoming queen a century ago.
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The grand marshal for Ohio State University's 2026 homecoming celebration is a cow named Maudine, an ode to OSU homecoming history from 1926.
https://studentlife.osu.edu/articles/your-student-life-homecoming-2026/
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Friday's parade followed a modified path because of construction along College Road, Ohio State University Student Life announced.
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Due to construction on College Road, this year’s parade will begin at the corner of Cannon Drive and John Herrick Dr. It will proceed southbound on Cannon Drive, turning just south of the new University Hospital, and proceeding on Neil Ave. to 12th Avenue. The parade will end at the Ohio Union.
While promotional materials from Student Life described the parade marshal as a "direct descendant" of Maudine, agricultural college officials clarified the animal's pedigree.
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She will be represented in the parade by a direct descendant of the famous Holstein.
The parade was part of the agricultural college's yearlong "Maudine 100" celebration, which also highlights campus landmarks such as the Ohio Union's Maudine Cow Room, decorated with wall murals and Holstein-patterned carpeting.
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CFAES has a yearlong celebration of “Maudine 100” underway.
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Hannah Snively, director of annual giving in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Office of Advancement, told The Lantern that the young cow from the university's Wooster campus has "no familial ties, but she is connected with Maudine Ormsby in spirit."
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“There are no familial ties, but she is connected with Maudine Ormsby in spirit,” Snively said.
Penny Barkhurst, CFAES director of engagement and alumni relations, told The Lantern that featuring a Holstein cow was "a great reminder of who we are."
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“To be able to feature a Holstein cow in the parade is just a great reminder of who we are,” Barkhurst said.
Assistant University Archivist Kevlin Haire told The Lantern that Maudine's enduring tale reminds current students that they are part of a larger history.
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“To learn that we had a cow win Homecoming queen is just a way for students to say, ‘Oh wait, I’m part of a larger history here,’” Haire said.
Supporting evidence (2)
According to University Archives records, election officials printed 3,000 paper ballots, but widespread voting corruption swelled the tally to more than 12,000 votes in a student body of fewer than 10,000, with votes cast multiple times and even for deceased alumni.
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Officials printed 3,000 ballots, but when counting them they found over 12,000.
During a seven-day test, she produced a world-record 743.5 pounds of milk and 28.7 pounds of butterfat, according to University Archives.
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In her heyday, she was able to produce 743.5 pounds of milk and 28.7 pounds of butter fat during a 7 day test, which won her a world record.