JOCKEY PROFILE

Date of Birth: December 18th, 1984

County of origin: Kildare

First winner: Hannon (Ted Walsh) Gowran Park, October 10, 2003

Final winner: Antey (Willie Mullins) Punchestown, April 27, 2018

Significant horses: Thunder And Roses, Blow By Blow, Seabass, Relegate, Baie Des Iles, Foxrock, Thousand Stars, Poker De Sivola, Glen’s Melody, Tofino Bay, Battlefront, Dorset Square, Sweet Shock, Carrig Millie, Antey, Hannon.

Did you know?

Youngest daughter of the well-known former champion amateur, trainer and television pundit Ted Walsh, Katie Walsh was a leading amateur rider throughout her near-15 year career in the saddle. She enjoyed a string of big race successes, including the Kerry National on the James Nash-trained Your Busy in 2014 and the biggest prize in Irish jump racing came her way when she won the Irish Grand National on Thunder And Roses for trainer Sandra Hughes in April, 2015, becoming only the third woman to ride the winner of race.

Three years earlier she rode her father's Seabass to finish third in the Aintree Grand National which was the best position attained by a female in the race until Rachael Blackmore won on Minella Times in 2021. Katie rode in the race on six occasions.

Katie enjoyed her first Grade 1 success when partnering the Willie Mullins-trained Blow By Blow to win the attheraces.com Champion INH Flat Race at the Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown on Wednesday, April 28, 2016.

Katie rode three Cheltenham Festival winners, the final one being the Champion Bumper in 2018 on the Willie Mullins-trained Relegate. She had previously won the County Hurdle on Willie Mullins' Thousand Stars and the National Hunt Chase with Poker De Sivola, trained by Ferdy Murphy, in 2010. Katie rode 181 winners in Ireland, 8 in Britain, 3 in Australia and 1 winner in France. 

Katie took many by surprise when announcing her retirement shortly after winning the SalesSense International Novice Hurdle on the Willie Mullins-trained Antey at the Punchestown Festival on Friday, April 27, 2018.