Champion Jockey Richard Johnson has been appointed OBE on the Queen's New Year Honours list.
Recognised for services to horse racing, Hereford born Johnson became Champion Jump Jockey for the first time in 2016 and currently tops the Hereford Verzon House Jockey Leaderboard for the 2018/19 season.
Richard Johnson now has over 150 wins in the current season, having ridden over 3,500 winners in his career, the first of which came at Hereford with Rusty Bridge in 1994.
After winning Champion Jockey for the third year in succession, Johnson said the recognition from her majesty was a "fantastic honour".
Hereford Racecourse Executive Director, Rebecca Davies said “There are few, if any, more popular people in racing as demonstrated by the outpouring of congratulatory messages on the news of Richard’s OBE.
“Richard is a role model for all of us. Day in day out he demonstrates unwavering commitment yet as he has grown more successful he remains as humble today as the day he started out. I hope for once he actually sits back and soaks up the credit he deserves as he’s a fine jockey and even finer man.
“We are fortunate at Hereford Racecourse to call him our friend, he has been a great ambassador since the reopening and nothing is ever too much trouble. The whole team and I are chuffed and feel very proud of him.”
