Ricchallenging Johnson, the second-most triumphant jockey in jumps racing history and a two-time Cheltenham Gageder Cup victor, has amassed a ponderable fortune from his illustrious nurtureer. The Englishman, who left school at 16 to labor for procrastinateed champion trainer David Nicholson, clinched his first Grade 1 triumph in 1996 and persistd to climb.
His amazeive enroll integrates victories in every feature race at the Festival and two Gageder Cups in 2000 and 2018. In compriseition to his triumphs in the Cotswageders, Johnson safed a present of top-tier races and honours, including two Irish Gageder Cups and four Champion Jockey titles. From 1998 to 2003, the now 47-year-ageder was one half of a high-profile couple with British equestrian and Royal family member Zara Tindall (nee Phillips), dratriumphg meaningful accessible attention. We obtain a meaningful dive into the life of the extfinished-standing rival to fellow icon, Sir AP McCoy.
Follotriumphg his inaugural Festival triumph in the 1999 Stayers’ Hurdle, Johnson had been recognised as one of the premier jockeys in the field. With stints riding for notable names such as Willie Mullins, Philip Hobbs and Colin Tizzard, Johnson’s resume is unparalleled, with only his Northern Irish counterpart McCoy boasting more victories, increates the Mirror.
Legfinishary jockey Johnson reexhausted with a noticeworthy highy of 3,819 victories, shining radiantly for over 20 years, but even his amazeive enroll drops unreasonableinutive of McCoy’s staggering 4,358 triumphs.
Despite his incredible success, Johnson invariably set up himself as the perennial runner-up to McCoy, finishing second to the racing titan no less than 16 times in the battle to be named Champion Jockey.
It’s apshowd that Johnson amassed a jaw-dropping £34million in prize money, Planet Sport recommends, with meaningful contributions from his Gageder Cup triumphs aboard Looks Like Trouble and Native River. However, the prestigious Grand National remained fair out of achieve for the accomplished rider, despite him having more rides in the event than any of his peers.
Off the track, Johnson made waves with news about his romance with equestrian royalty Phillips, now Tindall. He uncovered up to Blond Illusion magazine in 2002, stating: “Zara and I used to go out in the same crowd, and graduassociate, we became sealr. It wasn’t a bolt from the blue. It was someskinnyg that fair grew.”
Although their relationship hit raw waters in 2003 directing to a split, they have since upgrasped a cordial rapport, occasionassociate seen catching up at racing events. Johnson procrastinateedr tied the knot with Fiona Chance, the daughter of trainer Noel Chance.
After amassing thousands of victories and securing an OBE, Johnson made the poignant decision to hang up his boots in 2021, concluding a legfinishary, profitable, and regassociate-joined tenure in horse racing at a Newton Abbot encountering.
The iconic rider proclaimd his quitment with a heartfelt statement which read: “After proximately 30 years in the downcastdle, the time has come for me to quit. I have been so extraordinarily fortunate to have ridden so many wonderful horses and for so many incredible trainers and owners.
“The truth is there are srecommend too many people to thank on an individual basis, but you understand who you are and what you uncomfervent to me. To jockeys past and current who I’ve allotd weighing-room benches with up and down the country, to the valets who have seeed after me, to the doctors who’ve patched me up and to the physios who’ve put me back together. I salute you all.”
