The Grand Drive

Prize cattle, local couture and a live country soundtrack— the Aggieville Showdown brings rural pride to the heart of town.

ARTICLE BY Lucas Shivers

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Bill Stephens

Cheering for cattle along the brick-lined streets, spectators packed the sidewalks on April 6 to witness a celebration of agriculture like no other. The fifth annual Aggieville Showdown turned Moro Street into a show ring, concert stage, and fashion runway, drawing thousands for an unforgettable night in the heart of Manhattan.

“Our mission is to bridge the gap between rural and urban life,” says Christian Calliham, event founder and general manager. “Our cattle exhibitors in the heart of town get a spotlight and spark interest to share what they do and why they do it for those who consume beef every single day. Naturally, a connection forms between producers and consumers.”

The Showdown featured a Western fashion show, a live concert by the Lazy Wayne Band, and $7,500 in prizes in the Grand Drive on Moro Street. As the sun set over the streets of Aggieville, the roars of the crowd focused on agriculture’s finest.

“The Aggieville Showdown is like no other cattle jackpot show in the nation,” Calliham says. “This unique show started at the Riley County Fairgrounds in Cico Park, where exhibitors battled it out to have the chance to show the top six cattle in the streets of Aggieville.”

The Showdown brought together three divisions for the competition: cattle showmanship, market steers, and breeding heifers.

“The Showdown united exhibitors, students, businesses and the public to celebrate agriculture,” Calliham says. “Exhibitors gain confidence, leadership and responsibility, as well as learn proper animal husbandry skills.”

The Grand Drive took place on a central stage and arena set up on Moro Street in front of Rally House between Dusty Bookshelf and Buffalo Wild Wings, allowing thousands to spill over onto the sidewalks and streets in the cool spring air.

“We’re so glad so many took time to learn more about the cattle industry. We love to share about agriculture. We’re so excited to see the streets of Aggieville filled,” says Calliham, who graduated in May 2020 from K-State in ag business with an emphasis in marketing. “It started with three friends who dreamed up the idea. We spent hours planning and making it happen.”

Calliham gained skills to produce the Showdown through previous internships and work with a number of national stock shows.

“One of the things that always came up was how to educate consumers about what farmers and ranchers do,” Calliham says. “Other shows ask consumers to come to them, but I wanted to reverse the concept to bring the show to them on a Saturday night in the busy times with an immersive experience.”

Showdown Winners

With a record number of cattle and showmanship entries from 13 states—from California to Pennsylvania—the weekend marked the Showdown’s biggest year yet.

“Bearing through the cold weather, the Friday night showmanship competition crowned grand and reserve for showmanship, where several age levels shared their skills,” Calliham says. “The exhibitors are so wonderful. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with 2,500 people surrounding the final arena on Saturday.”

The PrairieLand Partners Showmanship winners included Junior Grand Champion Showman LJ Wells from Norfolk, Nebraska; Intermediate Grand Champion Showman Luke Katz from Beatrice, Nebraska; and Senior Grand Champion Showman Dustin Denton from Blue Rapids, Kansas.

The heifer show took over on Saturday with more than 120 entries, while the market beef competition ran simultaneously with judges Colby Taber and Nate Kolterman.

“When you think about this activity as a family, it’s something we’re all extremely passionate about, and I couldn’t think of a better way to raise our young people with hard work and responsibility,” Kolterman says. “Think about the early mornings and late nights and what it takes to compete at this level to come out on Main Street under the bright lights. It’s impressive and takes a lot of hours. At the end of the day, these kids have bright futures ahead of them.”

The quality of cattle on display ranked among the best in the country.

“Over the years, there’s been constant growth for the Showdown,” Calliham says. “There’s no other place that has a fashion show, concert and show. It gets people’s attention … ‘Wait, there are cattle in the middle of the business district?’”

Superior Livestock & El Dorado Livestock Auctions named Alexis Billeter as Market Beef Show Grand Champion. The CKP Insurance Breeding Heifer Show Grand Champion was Claire Norris, from Eudora.

“It was actually one of the coolest things ever in my entire time of showing in my 13 years,” says Billeter, who is

from Loomis, Nebraska. “The atmosphere was great, and it felt like more than a show for all my hard work to pay off. It was a huge honor.”

Billeter’s steer, named Hawk, is from England Show Stock in Oneita, Illinois. In her first year at the show, she plans to return and continue to advocate and educate others.

“There were so many people who had never seen a cow before, and it helps to organize the show this way to teach others about agriculture with the time and effort put into it,” says Billeter. “I’m really passionate about the show world. It’s a community where people have your back forever.”

Fashion Show & Concert

The Western fashion show highlighted retail stores and boutique clothing lines on a runway in the center of Aggieville.

Models took to the runway in outfits prepared by sponsors such as AR Silversmithing Co., Cavender’s Boot City, Gameday Ironworks, Just Plain Crazy, and Honey Rock.

Apparel vendors set up along Moro Street to sell their goods during the event. Jennifer Watchous, owner and designer of Just Plain Crazy, showcased her handcrafted leather goods—including clothing, bags, and keychains.

“For the fourth year, we’ve done this show and love to support the agriculture kids,” says Watchous, who is based in Newton. “It’s so neat to have a different venue in an exciting environment, to shut down Aggieville instead of (holding the event in) an arena or show ring. People mix good food, drinks and shopping, with something for everyone.”

After the fashion show wrapped, Abilene’s Lazy Wayne Band performed some of its top hits.

As for the future, Calliham says, “We’re expanding the concept to other land-grant universities with new events in Ames, Iowa, to continue the mission.” Because landgrant universities were founded to advance agricultural education and community outreach, they offer the perfect environment for events like the Showdown, which blend youth development, public engagement, and rural advocacy in one space.

As the lights dimmed on this year’s event, the countdown to next year’s Showdown had already begun, and Calliham’s enthusiasm is contagious. “We can’t wait for next year,” he says.

2025 Grand Champions

Market Beef Show

Alexis Billeter, Loomis, NE

Breeding Heifer Show

Claire Norris, Eudora, KS

Showmanship

• Junior: LJ Wells, Norfolk, NE

• Intermediate: Luke Katz, Beatrice, NE

• Senior: Dustin Denton, Blue Rapids, KS