Richard Johnson (jockey)

Background

Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.

Jockey career

Richard became Champion Conditional Jockey in the 1995/96 season, at the age of 18.

Richard's first winner under rules was on Rusty Bridge at Hereford in April 1994.

He has had great success at the Cheltenham Festival. His first win at Cheltenham was on Anzum in the 1999 Stayers' Hurdle. He won the 2000 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup with Looks Like Trouble and the 2002 Queen Mother Champion Chase with Flagship Uberalles. Richard was top jockey at the 2002 Cheltenham Festival with 2 wins. Richard was also victorious in the 2003 Champion Hurdle with the Philip Hobbs-trained Rooster Booster on which he also came 2nd in 2004. He is one of only three jockeys riding today, the other beings Barry Geraghty and Ruby Walsh, to have won all four of those championship races at Cheltenham.

A major influence on Richard’s racing career was "The Duke" – David Nicholson who supported him in his bid to become a professional jockey.

In 2003, Richard became the eighth National Hunt jockey to ride 1,000 winners in Britain on Quedex at Stratford. He recorded his 2,000th career winner aboard Fighting Chance at Newbury on 16 December 2009. The 3,000th winner came on board St. Saviour at Ludlow on 4 January 2016.

Having been runner up to Tony McCoy on 16 occasions in the Champion Jockey title, he was finally crowned champion for the first time in 2016. In 2017 he was Champion Jockey for the second time. In the 2016/17 season Richard rode a century of winners for the 21st consecutive time.

Grand National Record

He has ridden in the Grand National 20 times which is a joint record. He also has the record for most rides without a winner.

Personal life

For five years Richard lived with the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips, a relationship that created a great deal of media interest. The couple split in 2003.