Culloty and Mick Fitzgerald both worked for Jackie Retter, who trained at Whitstone, near Exeter, before they went their separate ways, Culloty to work for Henrietta Knight while Fitzgerald went with Nicky Henderson.
Culloty rode forty-four winners as an amateur during the 1996 racing season, after which he turned professional.
[1] Culloty retired in July 2005, not long after Best Mate had suffered a fatal heart attack while being ridden by Paul Carberry.
Today he runs the J H Culloty racing stables at Mount Corbitt House in Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland.
He volunteers as Clerk of the Course[3] at Garthorpe Racecourse, near Melton Mowbray, for four point-to-point meetings each year.