Wills Oakden 36 y/o

Great Britain

CCI5* -L Starts (total since 2008): 13

69 - Arklow Puissance
1 - Oughterard Cooley

Biography

Scottish rider Wills Oakden has completed Badminton three times before, finishing 12th on Arklow Puissance on the last occasion, in 2024.

This time he rides Keep It Cooley, for whom it will be a first Badminton and a second five-star start, having contested Luhmuhlen last year where the horse was retired on the cross-country.

The pair holds the distinction of having won at Blair Castle at two-, three- and four-star level, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the only combination to do so.

An Irish Sport Horse, Keep It Cooley was bred at Cooley Farm, Ireland, and has been produced throughout his competition career by Wills. The owners, Geoff and Elspeth Adam, are successful and well known in racing.

Wills’ father, James Oakden, and aunt, Frances Hay-Smith, have both ridden at Badminton, and Wills first worked for triple Badminton winner Ian Stark.

He represented Great Britain in Young Riders as a member of the European gold medal-winning team in 2011 and as a senior individual in 2015, both times at his lucky event, Blair Castle in his native Scotland.

He runs a training and competition yard near Cupar in Fife.

Entries

Arklow Puissance

ISH, Ireland, 2011
16.2hh , bay , gelding

Sire Puissance

Dam Cruising Jewel (Cruising)

Breeder Michael Byrne

Owned Rachel Wood
Kathleen Wilkinson

Oughterard Cooley

ISH, Ireland, 2010
16.2hh , bay , gelding

Sire Puissance

Dam Oughterard Sky Cruise (Cruising)

Breeder Gerard Lynch

Owned Debbie Whalley
Liz Magennis

Badminton Record

2025 – A Class Cooley RET
2024 – A Class Cooley EL
2024 – Arklow Puissance 12th
2023 – Arklow Puissance EL
2023 – Oughterard Cooley 12th
2019 – Cooley Ramiro 25th

Notable Results

2024 Blair Castle CCI4*-L – Keep It Cooley 1st
2024 Burghley CCI5*-L – A Class Cooley 17th
2023 Ballindenisk CCI4*-L – A Class Cooley 2nd
2023 Ballindenisk CCI4*-L – DHI By Design 1st
2023 Blair Castle CCI4*-L – A Class Cooley 1st
2023 Burghley CCI5*-L – Arklow Puissance 8th
2023 Burghley CCI5*-L – Oughterard Cooley 5th
2022 Ballindenisk CCI4*-L – Oughterard Cooley 6th
2022 Blenheim CCI4*-L – A Class Cooley 48th
2022 Blenheim CCI4*-L – Arklow Puissance 16th
2022 Blenheim CCI4*-L – DHI By Design 20th
2022 Burghley CCI5*-L – Oughterard Cooley 13th
2020 Burnham Market CCI4*-L – Oughterard Cooley 32nd
2019 Bramham CCI4*-L – Oughterard Cooley 18th
2018 Blenheim CCI4*-L – Cooley Ramiro 16th
2017 Blenheim CCI4*-L – Cooley Ramiro 51st
2015 Bramham CCI4*-L – Alfi Brown 7th
2015 Tattersalls CCI4*-L – Greystone Midnight Melody 7th
2014 Blenheim CCI4*-L – Greystone Midnight Melody 15th
2014 Bramham CCI4*-L – Alfi Brown 6th
2013 Blair Castle CCI4*-L – McFly 9th
2010 Blair Castle CCI4*-L – Jo Brown 3rd