Episode 462: Jenny Duggan

John Tapp Racing

I deserve a reprimand for taking so long to catch up with Jenny Duggan. There are several well known facts about this 44 year old Swedish born jockey. She can hold her own on the back of a thoroughbred at any level. She’s a hard worker, she’s as tough as teak and thoroughly reliable. She’s a great wife to Ben, and a wonderful mum and stepmother. What more can I say. Let’s hear from Jen who begins by talking about the support she receives from country and provincial trainers. She gives great credit to manager Shaun Flaherty.

The jockey talks about a “near miss” on her old favourite Torrens in the recent black type Australia Day Cup.

She rates Torrens as her all time favourite.

Jenny talks about a happy childhood on the family dairy farm at Figeholm in Sweden. The dairy cows shared the paddocks with a handful of horses. The die was cast.

She recalls her parents having to drag her off the pony at dinner time.

Jen pays tribute to her late paternal grandfather, and to her parents Tony and Lisa.

The former Jenny Lindgren says the majority of “horsey” Swedish kids often finish up in trotting stables. She much preferred to ride.

She looks back on a memorable six month stint with NZ trainer Murray Baker.

Jenny talks about an invitation to visit Australia with a Swedish friend. The friend went home. Jenny is here for life.

She talks of her introduction to Warwick Farm trackwork for several stables.

The jockey reflects on a new job at Port Macquarie and a burgeoning romance with a well known amateur jockey. It wasn’t long before she joined her partner on the picnic circuit.

She talks of an exciting premiership win, and a meeting with Racing NSW regarding unsatisfactory amateur riding fees. That meeting would change the course of her life.

Jenny made her pro debut at Port Macquarie in 2012, and what a beginning! She won at her very first ride.

She looks back on a winning run that earned her the ride on a horse she still regards as the best she’s ridden.

Jen soon discovered that race riding is fraught with danger. Her winning streak was halted by a Newcastle fall which left her with serious injuries to a knee. She was out for the best part of a year.

She hasn’t forgotten her return to trackwork. Mother nature put her on the sidelines again.

It was another year off to get her new son up and running. Back to trackwork and you won’t believe what happened!

On finally returning to the saddle, Jenny says she intended to ride trackwork only. As her weight stabilised and her rhythm came back, the desire to ride in races surfaced again. It was brother-in-law Adam Duggan who agreed to apprentice her.

In selecting a few memorable wins to talk about, we reminded the jockey of a Randwick Highway win on Gumshoe for former boss Marc Quinn.

Jenny was going so well by Scone Cup day 2020, she had six rides at the meeting despite the presence of top Sydney riders. She just missed a place on a Chris Waller runner in the Cup, before crashing in a later race. She has no memory of the fall.

The resilient jockey lists her injuries and talks about an agonisingly slow and tedious rehabilitation. There was never a hint of retirement.

She recalls the exciting return to the track, and a Port Macquarie double at her fourth meeting on the comeback trail.

Jenny looks back on a very successful return hindered by a recurrence of an injury from the Scone fall. She talks of a decision to take a complete break from racing and a return to her native Sweden. She took her sons Max and Sebastian along to spend time with their grandparents.

The long holiday fixed the problem. Jen resumed in December 2022 and won a race at Tamworth second day back. Then came a Randwick win which meant the world to her.

The jockey doesn’t mind admitting she’s one of Australia’s most senior female riders.

She talks of her ability to ride near the limit weight, and her current trackwork roster.

Great to catch up with the Swedish girl who had to be dragged off the pony when her dinner was on the table.