Jim Crowley's Life at Full Gallop. Royal Ascot Special. Talk Horse Podcast FULL EPISODE

It's Royal Ascot week! So who else to guide Pippa and Tristan through the glory and glamour of the occasion that ones of the most successful jockeys of his generation, Jim Crowley. Born in the shadow of Ascot racecourse, Jim shares his remarkable journey from pony racing, to massive success jump racing to making the bold and ultimately triumphant switch to the flat. Jim opens up about the relentless drive required to become Champion Jockey in 2016 and the intricate tactics and "racecraft" behind flat racing. His recovery from a life-threatening fall at York and his determination to get back in the saddle and the pressure of riding for racing’s biggest stars, including the legendary Baaeed. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to the Royal Ascot Special 01:00 - Pippa’s Pre-Show Wardrobe Mishap 03:15 - Welcoming Champion Jockey Jim Crowley 04:00 - Early Connections: Meeting in an Irish Bog 05:30 - Learning the Ropes: From Dressage to Shetland Ponies 06:55 - Riding for the Legend: Harvey Smith & Horsemanship 10:15 - The Leap of Faith: Switching from Jumps to the Flat 12:30 - The 3-Banana-a-Day Diet & Relentless Focus 15:50 - The Art of Tactics: Researching Form & Finding the Gap 20:30 - The Pressure of Royal Ascot & Riding for Shadwell 24:00 - Dealing with Injury: The York Fall & Recovery 34:50 - The Mental Game: Keeping Your "Bottle" After a Crash 38:30 - Why We Ride: The Body’s Happy Place 41:40 - Social Licensing & the Welfare of Young Horses 45:45 - The Road to Champion Jockey: "I'm Going for It" 49:30 - Quality Over Quantity: The Baaeed Journey 53:15 - Top Tactics: Golf Clubs & Clearing the Head 56:30 - Jim’s Advice: Make Things Happen