Dunwoody abandons comeback dream
He rode 1,699 winners in Britain plus 172 in Ireland and 10 abroad in 16 years in the saddle and was champion three times before a neck injury forced him to retire in December 1999.
Dunwoody, who is now 41, had his neck operated on in September by surgeon Peter Hamlyn.
Such was the success of the surgery that, in February, Dunwoody jumped an obstacle for the first time since his final fall at Perth in August 1999 and he had hoped to make a comeback.
But Dunwoody said yesterday: "The results from my MRI X-rays were very positive. The operation I had has alleviated the problem in my spinal nerve routes in my neck. The operation was successful and I would just like to thank Peter Hamlyn he's been brilliant.
"Unfortunately on the X-rays it showed that if anything my neck is more arthritic than it was when I retired in 1999. That would have meant that if I had a fall I would have an increased chance of doing serious damage and basically it wouldn't make much sense to return.
"So unfortunately I will not be taking AP McCoy on at Cheltenham next year.
"I am disappointed but it was a bit of a pipe dream. I am fitter and healthier now than when I retired. I was hoping for the impossible a little bit anyway but had my neck looked good and the X-rays looked good then I certainly would have come back.
"I'm 41 and Conor O'Dwyer and Carl Llewellyn are riding as well as ever so there was no reason not to come back on account of my age."
Dunwoody now hopes to concentrate on motivational speaking and television work. "I'm hoping maybe to do a bit more punditry if I'm called upon," he continued. "I'll also be helping out Richard Phillips and a couple of young jockeys, Jim Crowley and William Kennedy.
"I'm helping with spinal research and doing some riding holidays to Kyrgyzstan and Equador. We are promoting our book 'Our Gumball Rally' and I'm working on another book."
