Grand National icon dated royalty and now has new job after horse racing retirement

The iconic Richard Johnson paved one of National Hunt racing's most iconic and enigmatic careers, dating royalty while appearing at the Grand National in a record number of renewals.

Having left school at 16 to ride for late champion handler David Nicholson, Johnson never looked back after his first Grade 1. He became one of jumps racing's top riders and swiftly accumulated staggering amounts of prize money, establishing himself as a shoo-in for ride after ride at Aintree.

It wasn't just his on-track antics that proved popular, either, as his high-profile fling with member of the Royal Family, Zara Tindall (nee Phillips), who is now married to former England rugby star Mike Tindall, caught the public's attention. We take a look into the life of the Grand National-loving jockey, including his illustrious tenure and prize money total, record in the big race, royal relationship and new business venture.

The list of top races Johnson claimed during his time on the saddle is endless. He was a winner of every feature race at the Cheltenham Festival, including taking home a pair of Gold Cups at the big March meeting.

His tally of 3,819 winners boggles the mind, and only the great AP McCoy has gotten a leg up on more. It was thanks to these rides, saddled by a variety of trainers - including Willie Mullins, Philip Hobbs and Colin Tizzard - that Johnson was named Champion Jockey on four occasions - and this figure would have likely more than doubled were it not, again, for McCoy.

According to Planet Sport, the Englishman accumulated £34million in prize money during his career at the top. However, despite all his stunning victories and record-breaking numbers, the National was a beloved race that sadly avoided him.

Johnson and the Grand National went hand in hand for decades. From 1997 until 2016, the 47-year-old participated in every single renewal, and a final appearance in 2019 brought his total number of appearances to 21, a record that still stands today and will seldom be topped.

However, as much as Johnson is the man who has appeared in more Nationals than any other, he is also, unfortunately, the jockey to have ridden in it the most without being aboard the winner.

Twice Johnson steered the runner-up home, in 2002 with What's Up Boys and in 2014 with three-time competitor Balthazar King - the title ever eluding him. In fact, out of the 21 times Johnson rode in the big race, he only made it around all 30 fences six times.

While Johnson rose to stardom on the National Hunt circuit, away from it, the public quickly latched on to his and Tindall's power-couple-like relationship, which began in 1998.

He explained the bond to Blond Illusion in 2002, saying: "Zara and I used to go out in the same crowd, and gradually, we became closer. It wasn't a bolt from the blue. It was something that just grew."

Alas, their romance hit troubled waters and concluded in 2003. Johnson and Tindall have remained friendly in the years since, often seen engaging in conversation at the races. The former jockey has since found love again and is now married to Fiona Chance, daughter of esteemed trainer Noel Chance.

Since leaving the reins behind, Johnson, like many who remain on the National Hunt scene after their riding days end, has turned to ownership with his Richard Johnson Racing syndicate. The venture was first announced in 2023, with Johnson aiming to give people the chance to experience the thrills of owning a racehorse. As of January 2025, they currently hold four horses.

"There are 10 owners in all our syndicates, and we believe that makes it good fun, and they all feel involved," he admitted. "Most importantly, hopefully, people enjoy the experience of being an owner and enjoy going racing."