As the Scottish equestrian community looked forward to hosting the biggest competition in its history the final element they had been hoping for was provided when Wills Oakden was called into the British team for this weekend’s European Eventing Championships.

The decision to bring to Scotland a competition that has never previously been staged north of Lincolnshire was in itself a mark of the growing stature of the annual Blair Castle three-day-event, not least because it had to win the right to be the British contender after a gap of a decade since it was staged at Blenheim.

That bid was significantly boosted by the involvement of Ian Stark as the cross country course designer and that added extra piquancy when Scotland’s four-time Olympic silver medallist’s protégé was given his chance.

For his part the 25-year-old, who is based in Fife, offered sympathy to the fellow youngster he replaced, not least because Tom Jackson, who had to drop out because of an injury to his horse, is probably his best friend among his colleagues in the world class training programme.

“He’s got immense talent and he’ll make teams one day,” said Oakden.

“I wouldn’t have wished it on him at all, but you have to take your chance when it comes along.”

On a personal note, however, he is thrilled.

“I never even dreamt of it. I didn’t think this could happen,” he continued.

“I thought it would be too soon, I knew I had nice horses, but I didn’t think that I’d been on the radar long enough to get into this so it has come as a surprise. Being named as second reserve was a shock seeing the names of some of the people behind me.”

So, too, for David Kenwright and Sylvia Douglas owners of Greystone Midnight Melody (aka Molly), the 12-year-old bay with which he will be competing, who have worked closely with Oakden’s family all the way back to the first ever Blair event in the eighties when they provided the horse on which his aunt Fran Hay-Smith.

“They have been massive supporters not just of me, but of the family,” he explained.

“It started with Auntie Fran, then the ride was handed on to my cousin Danny, then to me and when she won it was the father of the horse she won on at Blair, so this is the second generation of horses. They’ve done a brilliant job so I’m delighted for them to get this opportunity more than anyone because it’s home soil for them as well, from Aberdeen.”

Cumbrian-born, he and his family moved to Drumbog Farm, near Newburgh, 12 years ago, close to where his grand-father came from and he now considers himself very much a local.

“I’m just moving yards and before settling on location we looked all over to see what was best for me, but my heart lies in Scotland,” said Oakden.

“There’s something about the place that gets into your blood, gets into your heart. I think the time I spent with Ian helped that. That time was incredible, but when I moved up here it became home. We got settled, the people I’ve got around me up here it just works and it feels like home.”

In competitive terms that also applies to Blair.

“It’s a great place for it to be. Blair’s a lovely spot, my favourite place to compete. I’ve been going there since I was a little boy with my dad and my auntie Fran,” he enthused.

“Blair was the first time I rode in a youth level team and we won team gold at the European Young Riders Championship. I think I finished 12th and the crowd then was fantastic, but I think it’s probably going to be quadrupled going by advance ticket sales.”

He is delighted by the reaction from the Scottish riding fraternity to his inclusion.

“It’s nice to hear,” said Oakden.

“I had a massive response on social media when it first came out, even before I had put any posts out. It was a crazy day. I had to switch the ‘phone off to get any work done, but it was a really fun day.”

He was, however, aware of the danger of his inclusion being considered token, so to that extent is glad of how it came about and is hopeful that it can help boost the Scottish equestrian scene.

“I was in a Catch 22 situation because if I’d got straight on the squad a lot of people would have said he’s only on it because he’s Scottish, so I like the way it’s worked out and that I wasn’t just put on so people can’t throw that at me,” he observed.

“I feel proud to be representing Scotland and my owners, but I feel this isn’t about Scotland and England it’s about Britain. This should have been celebrated with or without a Scottish rider.

“I think it also show that the standard of riding up here at a high level, even though we haven’t had enough riders breakthrough.

“Sportscotland and HorseScotland need to identify that. The programme they’ve put in place this year has been much better. They’ve really improved it, but they need to start finding more people to get through to that level and pushing through because otherwise it is going to become marginalised.”

He is also delighted that the most spectacular of the challenges that will confront them, the cross country course, is being set by the most famous horseman Scotland has produced.

“He (Stark) definitely has his own style of cross country course and all the riders love it. I do particularly,” said Oakden.

“I worked with him for two and a half years and he was very much mentor to me. I learned a huge amount from him about how to ride.

“He sent me a text saying ‘Congratulations on being selected, now go and enjoy.’ I texted back and said ‘Thanks very much, can’t wait to see what you have in store for us all,” and he texted back and said ‘Big and f***ing big.’ I texted back again and said ‘Good, that’s what I was hoping for,’ because certainly my horse will be brave in the cross country.”

The competition, which features the best riders in the world, gets underway with the dressage tests on Thursday and Friday ahead of the cross country on Saturday and the show-jumping on Sunday.