For me the success of Richard Johnson over nearly thirty years can be distilled into just one race.
Not at a marquee fixture at say Cheltenham or Sandown – though he has been continually outstanding at both, particularly in his retirement season at the latter – nor at Hereford, his and my local track, where winner number one came for the then 16-year-old amateur Mr R Johnson (7) in 1994 on his family’s bred, owned and trained horse, Rusty Bridge, the name now given to the course’s restaurant.
Nor on one of his high profile success stories, like Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Looks Like Trouble or Native River, or Champion Hurdle hero Rooster Booster, or the memorable Stayers' Hurdle winner Anzum.
No, as far as I am concerned the best illustration came in the ‘early years’ on a Wednesday evening in August 1997 at Cartmel where he was riding Name Of Our Father, the 10/1 outsider of four contesting the Oxley Developments Handicap Hurdle at 6-50.
On Cartmel’s lengthy, 800-yard run-in, as rival jockey Chris Bonner on long-time leader and odds-on favourite Bourdonner was beginning to sense victory, along came Johnson pushing and shoving in that uber-determined, never-say-die manner which supporters and opponents alike have come to love or dread to storm alongside – but the drama was still not over.
With the finishing line finally in sight and, it seemed, practically in slow motion, the Peter Bowen-trained Name Of The Father veered violently left causing his saddle to slip to the extent that the weight cloth containing crucial pieces of lead looked set to tumble to the turf, sparking inevitable disqualification.
However, despite a driving finish that required every ounce of strength and concentration, Johnson somehow managed to think quickly and coolly enough to also grab hold of the wandering lead bag and keep everything intact until the post had been reached.
It was a display of the kind of breath-taking horsemanship combined with astonishing skills of persuasion and pinpoint accuracy which have been witnessed day in, day out up and down the country ever since.
But there is more to tell.
After collecting the trophy, Johnson stopped to politely commiserate with the owner of the runner-up saying how he had probably been fortunate to ‘catch’ the lead, and offering best wishes for future races.
The owner was actually me, and I have never forgotten that post-race chat which demonstrated then as now why he has also been an outstanding ambassador for horse racing, and role model, as well as a brilliant champion.
And all over such a long period: when Bowen saddled up Name Of The Father that day at Cartmel, his own headline-making jockey-sons Sean and James were not even born – in James’ case nowhere near – and yet for all their undoubted abilities they have regularly been given masterclasses by Johnson, whose own first success came a few months before McCoy’s arrival in British racing from Ireland.
The timing of the news that an inevitably battered body is to be given some respite, coming just before the Grand National and with still a month of the jumps season remaining is probably no surprise: the Aintree spectacular, in which a record 21 appearances have resulted in two second places – on What’s Up Boys (2004) and Balthazar King (2014) – is a more a source of frustration than adulation, plus he would not want to in any way overshadow what is looking like a close-run tussle between Brian Hughes and Harry Skelton for the latest championship.
Most of all, this retirement marks a highly significant moment for national hunt racing: a truly golden generation of riders – made up of Johnson, McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, Noel Fehily and Davy Russell – is near to its conclusion. Only 41-year-old Russell remains, and because of injury he has not race-ridden since October 2020.
There is a lot to live up to for those that come next.
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