Richard Johnson finally achieved a lifetime ambition when he was officially crowned champion jockey at Sandown on Saturday. Dontari Poe Panthers Jersey . It is almost 22 years since the popular rider secured his first winner aboard Rusty Bridge in a Hereford hunter chase and in the subsequent two decades he has firmly established himself as one of the most successful National Hunt jockeys in history.Johnson has ridden over 3,000 career winners, including a Cheltenham Gold Cup success aboard Looks Like Trouble (2000), a Queen Mother Champion Chase triumph aboard Flagship Uberalles (2002), Champion Hurdle glory aboard Rooster Booster (2003) and the World Hurdle on Anzum (1999), the biggest four races at the Cheltenham Festival. It is fair to say Johnson has come a long way since growing up on a Herefordshire farm and getting the leg-up on his first pony, Twinkle, and yet he has had to spend most of his career in the giant shadow of the greatest of them all, the recently knighted Sir Anthony McCoy.Johnsons statistics are nothing short of staggering, but they pale into insignificance when put up against 20-times champion McCoys mind-boggling figures.Having finished runner-up to the Ulsterman on no less than 15 occasions in the jockeys title race, Johnson could be forgiven for having felt like his day at the top might never come, but it is a measure of the man that rather than becoming bitter and jealous, he saw his close friend and rival - who retired last year having ridden 4,358 winners - as an example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication.I had years of great racing with AP (McCoy) and it was frustrating not to beat him, but I had a fantastic time. Apart from the fact that I didnt beat him, I wouldnt have changed a thing, said Johnson.You always want to be competitive and you want to win every day. Racing is very unique in that we do all get on very well, were friends and we get changed in the same room, but we are very competitive. Menorah, ridden by Johnson (left), clears the last fence on his way to beating Valseur Lido If youre not competitive, you wouldnt be doing it. I was always chasing AP which spurred me on and hopefully I pushed him.When I was growing up it was Peter Scudamore, followed by Richard Dunwoody. To ride against Richard Dunwoody was an honour for me and to this day I still think hes one of the best jockeys Ive ever seen. He was what I wanted to be.AP has been the role model for the last 20 years and he conducted himself so well. Its actually made me realise in the last two or three months the extras he did for the last 20 years.With his mother Susan still holding a training licence today and both his father Keith and grandfather Ivor successful amateur riders, Johnson was bred to be a jockey.After graduating from riding ponies, he started riding out for the brilliant trainer David Nicholson in the school holidays before becoming pupil after leaving school at 16. After initially riding as an amateur, Johnson turned professional in 1995 and the following year was crowned champion conditional for the one and only time.Married to Fiona Chance, daughter of dual Cheltenham Gold-Cup winning trainer Noel, he was at Sandown, where he had a final day win aboard Menorah, with his family, where he was presented with his champion jockey trophy by McCoy.Its hard to put into words, he said.This season has gone so well and Ive had so much support off the world and their wife. Every owner and trainer in England and Ireland have supported me, which has been amazing.A massive thanks go to Philip Hobbs and Henry Daly, who have been my two longest-serving trainers and have been with me through thick and thin.The Whateleys have been fantastic owners, but all the owners have been very supportive. There are owners that when I started out were at David Nicholsons and are now at Philips.Dave Roberts, my agent, has done a fantastic job for 22 years and particularly for the last 12 months. On a daily basis he makes my life so easy.My family have been very supportive, from mum and dad to my wife and three children. They are very understanding and they dont see me much, but they are the ones who let me do what I love doing and they are always there when it doesnt quite work out.Ive many fond memories. Rusty Bridge and Derring Bridge are two horses that helped me get going and it sounds soft, but its always special to ride a winner for mum, whether it was back then or now.The three stand-out horses though are Rooster Booster, Looks Like Trouble and Anzum, who was my first winner at the Cheltenham Festival and David Nicholsons last. Johnson with the champion jump jockey trophy at Sandown Park Again it sounds so corny but Ive been very spoilt with so many good horses.Winning the title is something that Ive always wanted and its going to be a very special day and bit surreal I think.It was a strange day at Sandown last year with AP finishing (retiring) and its probably going to be a bit strange this year.Its all Ive ever dreamed of.While there was a sense of relief for Johnson after finally being crowned champion, he has no intention of resting on his laurels, with the defence of his crown set to begin almost immediately.He told Racing UK: You cant sit back and think its going to happen, because its not. Youve got to go out there and ride the winners.Theres lots of young lads in the weighing room now - the likes of Aidan Coleman, Sam Twiston-Davies and Brian Hughes - and then the older ones like Noel Fehily, who has had a fantastic season.I want to be champion (again). I think the Thursday after Sandown is the first day back and if Im not in Punchestown, Ill be keen to go wherever and get stuck in again.The important thing for me is to get set off on the right foot again. Every day is important, every week is important.The big meetings are obviously very important, but for me I think the racing in July is just as important as the racing in March.Just like Johnson did for all those years, Coleman, Twiston-Davies and the rest might just have to wait their turn as the new champion, who turns 39 this July, is seemingly in no mood to give up the title he has craved for so long without an almighty fight. Also See: Live results service Full racecards Get Sky Sports Donte Jackson Jersey .com) - Manu Ginobili capped off a 26-point night with a go-ahead layup with 24 seconds left in overtime, with the basket giving the San Antonio Spurs a much-needed 95-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. DaNorris Searcy Panthers Jersey . Despite Arsenals financial firepower, the 31-year-old midfielder was the only arrival in the January transfer window. Signed until the end of the season as injury cover, Kallstrom might not be fit until mid-March after arriving Friday at Arsenal having injured his back earlier in the week while training with Spartak Moscow. http://www.footballpanthersstore.us/ . Pedroia reached the milestone with a little panache, hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning and propelling the Boston Red Sox to a 7-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Even with a winless team coming to Madison Square Garden, there was no chance of the New York Knicks being overconfident.For us, right now, its not like we were playing great, point guard Jose Calderon said.They were good enough to beat Philadelphia.Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points, Amare Stoudemire added 16 points and 11 rebounds, and the Knicks dropped the 76ers to 0-13 with a 91-83 victory on Saturday night.Calderon made his season debut for the Knicks (4-10), who had lost consecutive games but jumped out to a big early lead and had an easy time against a team that was every bit as bad as its record for most of the game.You dont want to give a team like that no type of edge, no type of confidence, because when you do it can be a dangerous night for you, Anthony said.The 76ers are the first team to drop their first 13 games since the 2009-10 Nets lost 18 straight during the worst start in NBA history. The Sixers are nearing their franchise-worst start of 0-15 in 1972-73, when they finished 9-73 for the worst 82-game mark in league history.They played hard to keep from getting blown out but couldnt overcome three quarters of dismal shooting that had them trailing by as many as 21 points.We all are sticking together, forward Nerlens Noel said. We feel like were getting closer to our first win.Noel had the best night of his young career with season highs of 17 points and 12 rebounds.That was Nerlens best game. So everybody in Philadelphia is seeing what were seeing. Its slow but its coming, coach Brett Brown said.Calderon finished with three points and three assists in 21 minutes. The Spanish veteran strained his right calf during a preseason game on Oct. 20, and the Knicks are hoping he can help the flow of their triangle offence.New York was still without Andrea Bargnani, who was nearing a return from the strained right hamstring that has sidelined himm all season when he strained his right calf in practice Friday. DaNorris Searcy Jersey. The crowd was announced at 19,812, a sellout, but fans were largely silent during play, as if beating up on the dismal Sixers wasnt worth cheering.Philadelphia did manage to get it to 85-77 with under 2 minutes left, but Anthony made consecutive baskets.___TIP-INS76ers: Philadelphia trailed 25-13 after one. The 76ers had led at the start of the second quarter in three of the previous four games after not doing so once before then. ... Michael Carter-Williams grabbed four rebounds after he was averaging 6.0. His 6.2 rebounds per game last season ranked second among NBA guards.Knicks: New York played at home for the only time in a six-game span. The Knicks return to the Midwest for Thanksgiving week, visiting Houston, Dallas and Oklahoma City. ... Second-year guard Shane Larkin, who had been starting at point guard during Calderons absence, didnt play.NERLENS NIGHTNoel was the No. 6 pick in last years draft but missed the entire season after tearing an ACL during his lone season at Kentucky. His potential is one of the reasons the Sixers are encouraged about their future. I am really starting to feel like my legs are under me now, he said. (After) not playing basketball in so long, I am already starting to feel my timing is a lot better and Im feeling a lot more confident.ELEMENT OF SURPRISESome of the 76ers are young and unknown, even to their opponents. Anthony said he knew most of them, though recent call-up Robert Covington from the NBA D-League was a bit of a mystery. The kid Covington came in at the end, Im looking at the sideline, Im like, Is he a shooter? How should we guard him? Anthony said. Theyre like, Just put a hand up. He came out and hit four 3s in a row. Covingtons 14 points were a career high.UP NEXT76ers: Host Portland on Monday.Knicks: Visit Houston on Monday. Cheap Philadelphia Eagles Jersesys Cheap Oakland Raiders Jerseys Cheap Minnesota Vikings Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Chargers Jersesys Cheap Cleveland Browns Jersesys Cheap Chicago Bears Jersesys Cheap Miami Dolphins Jerseys Cheap New Orleans Saints Jerseys Cheap Seattle Seahawks Jersesys Cheap Green Bay Packers Jersesys Cheap Pittsburgh Steelers Jersesys Cheap New York Giants Jersesys Cheap New England Patriots Jerseys Cheap Denver Broncos Jersesys Cheap Dallas Cowboys Jersesys Cheap San Francisco 49ers Jersesys ' ' '