Jockey Profile

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From Midleton, County Cork, Josephine or "Jody" Townend rode a winner on her first ride in a point-to-point at Grennan in late 2015 as a 17-year-old and made the breakthrough on the racecourse when winning the 5 Lamps Maiden Hurdle on Port Rashid, owned and trained by her father Tim at Tramore on April 16, 2018. Jody began her riding career in showjumping and eventing. She is the youngest sister of champion jockey Paul Townend and a cousin of former top jockey Davy Condon.

Jody rode a winner on her first ride for champion trainer Willie Mullins when scoring on Supreme Trix in a lady riders' bumper at Roscommon on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.

Mullins supplied her with a notable success when the pair combined to win the Connacht Hotel Amateur Riders Handicap with Great White Shark on the opening day of the 2019 Galway Festival. Jody had made a brilliant recovery from injury to win the race having fractured her T12 vertebrae in a schooling fall in October of the previous year. Her return to the saddle was delayed by serious infection after surgery and Great White Shark was only her fourth ride back. 

She partnered subsequent Group 1 winner Princess Zoe to handicap success at the Curragh in 2020 and rode her first winner at Leopardstown when landing the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race on the Willie Mullins-trained Grangee at the 2021 Dublin Racing Festival. In April of the same year, Jody won the Goffs Land Rover Bumper at the Punchestown Festival on the Willie Mullins-trained Adamantly Chosen and was crowned as the Leading Lady Amateur Rider for the 2020/2021 season days later.