named Janzome and was shaping up to be as outstanding as her mother. She won her first race in the two-year-old trials, by 10 lengths, but then tragedy struck. While on a training run she broke her leg so severely that it was doubtful if she would live. Sir William sought expert advice and with a remarkable piece of veterinary skill, she was saved as a brood mare. In the early 1980s, Sir William ventured into standardbred racing, having dabbled a little with Red Slipper back in the 1950s and was successful with Debbie Direct and his pacer Never Bend, who won six races before going to the US. His last purchase was a yearling named Empire Lobell now rated as an open class trotter and since Sir William's death in 1983 had been raced by Bill, Jack and Ross Stevenson with moderate success. Other sporting moments In 1950 he was named Manager of the Empire Games Rowing Camp at Karapiro, having spent months totally landscaping and grassing over half a mile of the riverbank to provide spectator accommodation for thousands of people at his own cost. In 1954 he was named manager – coach of the NZ Rowing contingent to the Empire Games in Vancouver. He assisted numerous sporting clubs with funds and services, from Rugby League to Golf – a four-oared boat for the Rotorua Rowing Club – a rowing training tank in Auckland – funds for overseas competition for athletes of all codes – laying the Lovelock athletic track – where others just talked about, Sir William moved in and did it. The New Year Honors List of 1954 listed Mr. W.A. Stevenson of Howick as being awarded the OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for Service in the field of Sport and Social Welfare and he was invested by the Queen at Wellington, during the Royal Tour of that year. For, not only did he achieve success as a competitor himself, but also ensured that others were given the opportunity to further their own sporting careers. Perhaps Sir William's proudest after many years of association with all codes of sport culminated in his appointment as manager of the NZ team to the Tokyo Olympics. That pride would have been complete when Jack Stevenson was named Manager of the Rowing section. Supporting Community As his business flourished and Sir William turned his