{{short description|Scottish athlete}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name= David Stevenson | full_name = David Deas Stevenson<ref name=cgf>[https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39520 David Deas Stevenson], The Commonwealth Games Federation</ref> | image = | caption = | country = Great Britain<br>Scotland | sport = Athletics | event = [[Pole vault]] | club = [[Edinburgh Southern Harriers]] | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1941|11|28|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Hawick]], Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = }}
'''David Deas Stevenson''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[CBE]]}} {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DL}} (born 28 November 1941) is a Scottish former [[Sport of athletics|athlete]]. He competed for [[Great Britain at the Olympics|Great Britain]] in the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault|men's pole vault]] at the [[1964 Summer Olympics]], where he placed 20th.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/dave-stevenson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035958/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/dave-stevenson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Dave Stevenson Olympic Results |access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="Last21">[https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19457271.scots-olympic-couple-recall-amazing-experience-last-goodwill-olympics-tokyo-1964/ Scots Olympic couple recall 'amazing experience' of last of the 'Goodwill Olympics' at Tokyo 1964], Jack Davidson, 21 July 2021 {{subscription required}}</ref> He was also a successful businessman, serving as managing director of [[Edinburgh Woollen Mill]] from 1970 to 1997.
==Athletics career== In addition to the Olympics (where he cleared three heights with no fails but could not achieve the qualifying mark for the final, 4.60m, from his three attempts), Stevenson also took part in the [[Commonwealth Games]] in [[Athletics at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games – Men's pole vault|1962]] (10th place), [[Athletics at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games – Men's pole vault|1966]] (4th place, matching the height of the bronze medallist) and [[Athletics at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games – Men's pole vault|1970]] (9th place).<ref name=cgf/><ref name="Last21"/>
At local level, he competed for Edinburgh University and [[Edinburgh Southern Harriers]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003741/19660523/018/0018 |title=Sport in a Flash |work=Daily Record |date=23 May 1966 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref> and won the Scottish Athletics Championships eight years out of nine between 1962 and 1970,<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/sco.htm Scottish Championships], GBRathletics</ref> claimed the gold medal at the 1965 [[AAA Indoor Championships]] (plus four silvers from other years),<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaai.htm AAA Indoor Championships (Men)], GBRathletics</ref> and two bronze at the [[AAA Championships]].<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm AAA Championships (Men)], GBRathletics</ref> While at university, he had also challenged for the Scottish title in the [[long jump]] and [[triple jump]].<ref>[http://www.anentscottishrunning.com/university-track-and-field-1960-64/ University Track and Field: 1960 – ’64], Anent Scottish Running, 1 December 2017</ref>
==Business and personal life== Raised in [[Langholm]], [[Dumfriesshire]] and a graduate of the [[University of Edinburgh Business School]] in 1962,<ref name=heights/> he joined the textiles firm founded by his father Andrew in the 1930s<ref name=jumpers/> and successfully expanded it as the [[Edinburgh Woollen Mill]] clothing retail company, with a catalyst for growth coming from the supply of the Scotland team's [[tartan]] uniforms at their 'home' [[1970 British Commonwealth Games]] in [[Edinburgh]], at which he was also a competing athlete.<ref name=heights>[https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/alumni/aluminate/features/reaching-new-heights Reaching New Heights], University of Edinburgh Business School</ref> The company absorbed several others across Scotland to diversify its product line,<ref name=jumpers/> and had almost 200 stores before being sold in 1997 for £69 million.<ref name=heights/> He retained an interest in business with the Ashleybank Investments company which had shares in [[Schuh]] and [[Dobbies]] among others,<ref name=heights/> and also set up a charitable organisation, the Stevenson Foundation, sponsoring local sports clubs and other civic causes.<ref name=free/> The Woollen Mill (in reality Stevenson's close family) owned several [[National Hunt racing|National Hunt]] racehorses, with [[Gordon W. Richards]] as trainer.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=vh3T5OR8gpYC&dq=%22Alix+stevenson&pg=PT80 The Boss: The Life and Times of Horseracing Legend Gordon W. Richards], John Budden; Random House, 2012; {{ISBN|9781780577753}}</ref><ref name=jumpers>[https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11916610.jumpers-are-winners-for-david-stevenson/ Jumpers are winners for David Stevenson], The Glasgow Herald, 23 May 1989 </ref> His Irish son-in-law Ger Lyons is also a successful racehorse trainer,<ref>[https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/down-royals-big-hope-for-a-bold-ayr-show/28090600.html Down royal's big hope for a bold Ayr show], Jimmy Walker, Belfast Telegraph, 14 April 2002</ref><ref>[https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=EAIM&u=anon~e0719685&id=GALE|A133932037&v=2.1&it=r&sid=sitemap&asid=d87b1e57 Lyons' Den], Michael Clower, The Times, 3 July 2005, via [[Gale (publisher)|Gale]] </ref> with his own daughter Kerri among his staff,<ref>[https://gerlyons.ie/about About], Ger Lyons Racing</ref><ref>[https://m.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/no-blurred-lyons-as-straight-talker-aims-for-the-top/40932448.html No blurred Lyons as straight talker aims for the top], Michael Verney, ''The Irish Independent'', 9 October 2021 </ref> while [[Ian Stark]], Scottish Olympic medallist in [[Eventing]], has credited Stevenson for his long-term support.<ref>[https://bramham-horse.co.uk/about-bramham/the-team/meet-the-xc-course-designer-ian-stark/ Meet the...XC Course Designer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811212136/https://bramham-horse.co.uk/about-bramham/the-team/meet-the-xc-course-designer-ian-stark/ |date=11 August 2020 }}, Bramham Horse Trials</ref><ref>[https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/outdoors/eqy/olympian-ian-stark-is-scotlands-main-eventer/ Olympian Ian Stark is Scotland's main eventer], Scottish Field, 6 December 2019</ref>
He was made a [[Commander of the British Empire]] in the [[1988 New Year Honours]]. In 2012, Stevenson was made an [[Freedom of the City|Honorary Freeman]] of [[Dumfries and Galloway]] for "his involvement in bringing national recognition to the town [of Langholm], his generosity of spirit, and the time he has devoted to his local community".<ref name=free>[https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/date-set-david-stevenson-freeman-2549210 Date set for David Stevenson Freeman honour], Daily Record, 31 August 2012</ref> He was a baton-bearer for the [[2014 Commonwealth Games]] held in [[Glasgow]]. At that time he was also Deputy [[Lord-Lieutenant]] for Dumfries.<ref>[https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/commonwealth-games-pole-vault-hero-3364389 An all too common feeling for David], Daily Record, 4 April 2014</ref>
His wife [[Alix Jamieson]] was a fellow competitor in the 1964 Olympics in the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Women's long jump|long jump event]];<ref name=heights/><ref name="Last21"/> they have two children and four grandchildren.<ref name=free/> His brother Neil was a top-level [[rugby union]] player with [[Langholm RFC]] in the era before professionalism in the sport, also working in the family business.<ref name=jumpers/><ref>[https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituary-neil-stevenson-accomplished-rugby-player-who-ran-dyeworks-and-edinburgh-woollen-mill-1424506 Obituary: Neil Stevenson, accomplished rugby player who ran dyeworks and Edinburgh Woollen Mill], The Scotsman, 20 December 2018</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Dave}} [[Category:1941 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:British men pole vaulters]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]] [[Category:Scottish men pole vaulters]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Scotland]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Hawick]] [[Category:People educated at Dumfries Academy]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] [[Category:20th-century Scottish businesspeople]] [[Category:Deputy lieutenants of Dumfries]] [[Category:Scottish racehorse owners and breeders]] [[Category:20th-century Scottish sportsmen]] [[Category:Scottish Olympic competitors]]