A sport could not have had a finer role model or ambassador than Richard Johnson

God, he tried.

With Richard Johnson, you knew what you were going to get – and it was never half-hearted.

He faced the starter in more jumps races than anyone in history and rode more winners than all but one other individual. Yet while Johnson has crossed the line with second position in the all-time list, nobody could have ever bettered him in a different league table. This most excellent of men was the finest ambassador this or any sport could hope to have.