Six-year-old Cheddar boy Archie Hill beat opposition more than three times his age to triumph in his debut appearance at the Royal Bath and West Show.

Archie was reserve champion across the showman classes, having impressed with his Limousin calf, Evie.

“She was born on January 24, my dad’s birthday and I feed and wash her,” said the champ. Earlier, his father Nick’s animals took awards for the male Limousin champion; reserve female Limousin and champion group of three.

It was a successful day at the show in Shepton Mallet yesterday, despite the inclement weather.

The supreme beef championship went to a massive six-year-old Charolais cow, Mortimer’s Urovision, owned by the Mortimers from Eastleigh, Hampshire, and shown by Charlie Maclean.

Judge Robert Needham described her as “a great animal” who shone out in a class of superb animals. She took the reserve supreme championship at Surrey County Show last Monday and will now go on to the Royal Highland Show.

The reserve championship went to a British Limousin, owned by Christine Williams, from Shifnal, Shropshire, and shown by Paul Tippetts.

The weather was not kind to show organisers, with rain for much of the day, but show manager Alan Lyons said: “Everyone is having a good time. Today, because of the weather, we have had our loyal disciples here. They were able to dodge the rain in the food halls and elsewhere. Tomorrow, I think it will be a cracker.”

One beautiful and rare creature making her debut was a Suffolk Punch foal – who was conceived during last year’s freak storm that made national headlines. Aptly-named Atlantic Storm, she is just three weeks old, and being show in the heavy horse classes with mother, High Meadows Summer. There are only between 300 and 350 of the striking chestnut-coloured horses left in the world

The pair’s owner, Heather Keeble, from Enfield, said she left last year’s show just before the deluge began to drive the mare to be covered by a stallion owned by Mike York at Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset. After driving back to the showground that night with the storm at its worst she was cheered for managing to complete the journey.

She said: “Then on May 5 at 2.20am Atlantic Storm was born. Her mother is one of the first American Suffolk Punches to be imported into the UK. They are so rare and interbred now that I thought it was very important to find a different gene pool. The breed was first taken out to America in 1912. I haven’t imported the mare for fame or claim, but because it is important for the breed.” The show continues today with a wealth of exhibits, fantastic West Country food and four miles of trade stands.

The gate figure for the first day was 28,938, despite the rain, only 300 down on last year.

Click here for a gallery of images from the Royal Bath & West Show 2009