Riley began his career as a member of the
Royal Canadian Navy in World War II. After starting rowing in the
Winnipeg Rowing Club in 1946, Riley competed in rowing competitions for the
Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and
Northwest International Rowing Association. In RCH competitions, Riley won a juniors competition in 1946 and a seniors competition with
Theo Dubois in 1947. Alternatively, Riley won over thirty medals in the NWIRA including a seniors event with
Bob Richards in 1948 and every medal competition in 1961. His final NWIRA event was in 1963. In world competitions, Riley competed at the
1952 Summer Olympics in rowing and was the chairman for the rowing events at the
1967 Pan American Games. Outside of rowing, Riley worked at the
Hudson's Bay Company as a
chief financial officer. Later positions included
chief executive officer of a Winnipeg metal company and chairman of
North West Company in 1987. ==Awards and honours==