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Richard Johnson, the four-time champion showjumper, has announced his retirement.
Johnson, 43, announced his unexpected decision after his last trip on Brother Tedd in Newton Abbot on Saturday.
He said: “After almost 30 years in the saddle, the time has come to retire.
“I have been extraordinarily fortunate to have ridden so many wonderful horses and so many incredible trainers and owners.
3:06
Four-time champion jumper Richard Johnson has announced his retirement
“It was particularly important for me to finish one for (coach) Philip and Sarah Hobbs, who, like Henry Daly, have supported me for over 20 years. I will never be able to articulate what their loyalty has meant to me.”
Many of Johnson’s highest-profile winners came for Hobbs, including Rooster Booster at the 2003 Champion Hurdle.
He also rode two Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, Looks Like Trouble in 2000 and Native River in 2018.
Johnson was a perennial runner-up to 20-time champion jockey Sir Anthony McCoy for much of his career but, following the retirement of his great rival, he claimed the title for four consecutive years, from 2015/16 to 2018/19.
He added in his retirement statement: “There are so many people to thank who have been part of my journey.
Johnson teamed up with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River
“Without ‘the Duke’ (coach David Nicholson) and Dinah Nicholson and their remarkable staff, I would never have had that early stage.
“Noel Chance, Peter Bowen and Milton Bradley, thank you for trusting me when I started. Those were the days that shaped my career, with so many people remaining lifelong friends.
“The truth is that there are too many people to thank individually, but you know who you are and what you mean to me.
“To the riders of the past and of the present with whom I have shared the benches of the weighing room throughout the country, to the valets who have treated me, to the doctors who have repaired me and to the physiotherapists who have put me together again.
“Without (agent) Dave Roberts, I would never have raced so many winners, and without the help of physical therapist Kate Davis in recent years, I would not have been able to do it physically. I salute you all.”
Johnson has enjoyed a long association with Hobbs and the coach paid tribute to the pilot following his announcement.
Johnson scores at Thyme Hill earlier this season
“It’s been a part of my life for a long time,” Hobbs said. In the races.
“He has been an incredible role model. You could never get anyone better for future riders to see what they need to do when it comes to riding, how to behave and everything it takes to be a good rider.”
“It was only the last days [that I had an inkling Johnson might retire]. Obviously, it had to happen someday, but at least he’s healthy and in one piece, it’s a good time to go out.
“There is absolutely no side to him, you never had a problem with him and that’s really phenomenal.”
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