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Millions in winnings, dating royalty, and buying 'talking' horses - don't dare say the life of this jockey has been mundane. 

Richard Johnson is one of the sport's most iconic jump jockeys ever and with Cheltenham Festival cantering towards its finale, it's an apt moment to reflect.

The Hereford native won a whopping 3,819 races over the course of a sparkling career - second only to A.P. McCoy - and claimed two Gold Cups, though he never triumphed in Aintree's Grand National. 

Johnson would not have seen this coming when he left school aged 16 to work for late champion trainer David Nicholson, but it has been quite the ride.

He is estimated to have banked more than £34million from his horseback exploits - most of the way to the total GDP of Pacific island Tuvalu. 

But when you've won every single feature race at Cheltenham, it's easy to see how the numbers stack up.

Richard Johnson is one of the most successful jump jockeys ever, winning 3,819 races

He won two Gold Cups at Cheltenham Festival, most recently in 2018 but also in 2000

Johnson used to date royal family member Zara Tindall (then Phillips) between 1998 and 2003

His antics in the saddle saw him thrusted into the cream of the social crop.

From 1998 to 2003, he dated royal family member Zara Tindall (then Phillips), herself a keen equestrian. 

However, the pair split up after she felt that he wanted to prioritise the horses. 

'She is very unhappy. She feels that with Richard racing comes first, second and third while she comes a poor fourth,' a friend of Zara's once told the Daily Mail in 2002.

There was also an incident when the police were called over to sort out a fracas between the couple. 

It was claimed that Johnson had dragged her out of a car and thrown her to the ground.

The pair were said to have kicked and punched each other, screaming insults before Johnson ran off in tears.

At one point friends had been talking about the possibility of the pair getting engaged, but it never materialised.  

The pair split up after Zara became frustrated with how dedicated he was to his racing 

Johnson downs some well-earned champagne after securing his 1,000th victory in 2003

'It a dream turned sour for Zara,' one told the Mail.

'She is unhappy and disappointed with his behaviour.'

Fourteen years later, in 2016, the pair reunited at Ascot racecourse and were seen in good spirits together, appearing to bear no hard feelings. 

Johnson was even jockeying Somewhere To Be, a horse owned by Zara. 

In 2021, Johnson shocked the racing world when he announced his retirement. With Gold Cup victories in 2000 and 2018, as well as his almost 4,000 other victories, his legacy was secure. 

'After nearly 30 years in the saddle, the time has come for me to retire. I have been so extraordinarily lucky to have ridden so many wonderful horses, and for so many incredible trainers and owners,' he said in tears after his final race at Newton Abbot. 

Of course, Johnson is still involved in the racing world. At the Cheltenham January Sale, he forked out £230,000 on the 'talking' horse, five-year-old gelding Starzand, son of former Derby and Irish Derby winner Harzand.

For quick clarity - a 'talking' horse isn't one that literally talks. Not usually, anyway. Instead, the term refers to the horse that is in the headlines - the one that everyone is talking about. 

The former flames reunited at Ascot Racecourse in December 2016 and seemed to get on

Commenting on his purchase, Johnson said: 'Everyone wants winners at Cheltenham and that is where we want to get. 

'This looks a lovely horse, and will be one for the future, he is a proper long-term three-mile chaser and it might take him two years for him to reach his potential.

'We loved the horse, he's got the form in the book and we thought he was right for the owner.

'I was hoping we'd get him for £150,000! You never want to spend more than you have to.

'But he was always going to be an expensive horse. He ticks a lot of boxes and was never going to be cheap.'