Born on December 18, 1984, in Co. Kildare, Katie Walsh is, of course, the youngest daughter of trainer Ted Walsh and the younger sister of twelve-time Irish Champion National Hunt Jockey Rupert ‘Ruby’ Walsh. She retired from race riding on April 27, 2018, aged 34, immediately after winning at the Punchestown Festival on Antey, trained by Wille Mullins, but, for the better part of 15 years, was a trailblazing amateur jockey, who rode a total of 189 winners in Britain and Ireland, including three at the Cheltenham Festival.
Indeed, alongside sister-in-law Nina Carberry, who is married to Ted Walsh Jr., Katie Walsh still jointly holds the record for the number of rides by a female jockey in the Grand National, having contested the Aintree marathon six times.The pick of her placings and, at the time, the highest placing ever achieved by a female rider, came of her first attempt in 2012. On that occasion, she rode Seabass, trained by her father, who was sent off 8/1 joint-favourite and looked, briefly, like he might win. The 9-year-old led over the final fence, but was joined, and passed, on the run-in, eventually finishing third, beaten a nose and five lengths.
The partnership tried again in 2013, with Seabass sent off clear 11/2 favourite, despite being 5lb higher in the weights than the previous year. He was driven along from the third-last fence, but soon weakened out contention, finishing in thirteenth place, 85¾ lengths behind the surprise winner Auroras Encore. The following year, Katie Walsh finished in the same position on Vesper Bell, trained by Willie Mullins and, in 2015, suffered her one and only non-completion in the National, when unseated by Ballycasey, also trained by Mullins, at the penultimate fence. Thereafter, she finished nineteenth, and last, on Wonderful Charm, trained by Paul Nicholls, in 2017 and twelfth on
Baie Des Iles, trained by her husband, Ross O’Sullivan, in 2018, but both horses were completely tailed off.
Katie Walsh’s twitter account: https://twitter.com/katiewalsh9