Despite the challenges, he expressed pride in his career. "While it's difficult to close this chapter, I do so with immense pride," he said.
A Unique Career
Crowley's career spanned both jump and Flat racing, giving him a unique global perspective.
He rode in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, the Velka Pardubicka, and the Melbourne Cup.
"I'm probably one of the few jockeys in the world who has been able to ride in races as diverse as those," he said.
"It was beyond my wildest dreams."
He felt something was missing during his jump-racing days. "I always felt there was something missing.
I felt I had more to give but I couldn't have believed that switching to the Flat would work out so well," he said.
Winning the champion jockey title was a career highlight.
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"It's such a difficult thing to accomplish and so few jockeys get the chance to do it," he said.
Among the horses he rode, Baaeed stood out. "He had everything.
From the moment I sat on him I knew how good he was," Crowley said.
He also praised Battaash and Hukum. "Battaash came along quite soon after I got the job.
It's only really when you look back at a horse like him that you think, 'Wow'.
Hukum was one of my favourites because he came back from injury and won a King George," he said.
Crowley credited the Shadwell team for their support. "Holding the Shadwell job for so long was amazing.
