After a remarkable run of 35 years at Blair Atholl, the final curtain fell on this year’s Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials last month. The backdrop of the imposing and historic white castle, traditionally the home of the Dukes of Atholl, surrounded by its familiar hills, had become a standard fixture on the equestrian calendar over the years.
Famed within the eventing fraternity for its testing hilly cross-country parkland course, it has attracted competitors competing at the highest level from far afield as well as hosting the European Championships in 2015.
The scriptwriters couldn’t have crafted a better ending for the last event when Perthshire-based rider, Wills Oakden, took the prestigious CCI4*L competition, one of three on the British Eventing schedule list for 2024 and the only one at this level offered in Scotland.
The competition involves three phases run over four days, beginning with the traditional inspection prior to the start followed by dressage and cross country on the following days. It culminates with the show jumping phase after which penalties are added and the competitor with the lowest score wins the competition.
In a separate competition, Daniel Ockenden and Stephanie Oakden’s Mile Beach opened proceedings for Will in the popular but less demanding CCI2*L, where 60 competitors completed the competition from an entry of almost 100.
An impressive dressage score proved the decisive factor as the top three riders didn’t add to their dressage scores after cross country and show jumping. Interestingly Wills’ aunt Frances Hay-Smith won the first-ever long-format 2* at Blair in 1989 while his father, James, finished second in 1997, so it was a fitting end to the final 2* event when he jumped an immaculate clear to win.
That wouldn’t be the case come the CCI4*L, where deteriorating ground caused by wet weather experienced before and during the event took its toll.
With heavy going on the long-format cross country having a major influence on penalty scores, the clock proved to be as much of a challenge as the obstacles of mind-boggling difficulty.
From a cast of top riders, including Olympic gold medalist Tom McEwen, Wills steered Geoff and Elspeth Adams’ nine-year-old gelding, Keep It Cooley, clear across country and over show jumps, with only time penalties incurred across country to be added to a good dressage score to leave him well clear of the rest of the field.
Having been a member of the British gold medal-winning Young Rider’s team in 2011, Wills Oakden must surely be styled as Mr Consistent at Blair having taken the same competition here last year with his experienced grey, A Class Cooley – the same year that Keep It Cooley also took the CCI3*L.
As if this wasn’t enough, he had added this victory to a win in the CCI2*L with Keep It Cooley in 2022. Full marks not only to Wills but also to his remarkable horse, which is surely on track for even greater things.
Like many other successful Irish Sports Horses, his breeding follows the modern trend of the warmblood sire (Ramiro B) on the three-quarters bred mare, in this case sired by the influential Master Imp, which featured in so many good Irish horses.
Carrying the distinctive Cooley brand name, he was sourced from the Co Wicklow yard of Richard Sheane and Georgina Philips, who have established a name for themselves for sourcing top-class sports horses.
Literally born in the saddle, 34-year-old Wills showed early talent. From 2006 to 2009, he worked for Scotland’s most successful event rider, Olympic medalist and course designer, Ian Stark OBE. Needless to say he learned a great deal during this time and, ironically, it was at this year’s Blair event that 70-year-old Stark competed with Chatsworth Diamond after which he confirmed it would be his last 3* event.
He was obviously an inspiration and a pivotal influence on a young Oakden but so, too, must have been his father, James, a former Badminton competitor like his Aunt Frances. James took second place this year at Blair in the B100 with Splash The Cash.
In so many more ways than one, Wills Oakden delivered the perfect ending to a historic international event at the Blair Castle Estate, where the parkland is soon to be given over to regenerative farming.
With other major Scottish venues opting to close their doors to horse trials, there is good news on the horizon with a new venue scheduled in Kirkcudbright for 2025.
However, there can be no better news than the announcement made before Blair that the Scone Palace Estate, in conjunction with Perth Racecourse and British Eventing, will host an International CCI4*L Horse Trials event in August 2025.
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