Early in 2004, a young Waitaki Boys' High School boarder was bemoaning his school's policy of making it compulsory for boarders to select a sport. Thus challenged, he selected the easiest sounding sport available - croquet. The schoolboy was Duncan Dixon, and the rest, as they say is history.
Duncan quickly developed in the game, and soon helped his school win the Aoraki Secondary Schools (Golf Croquet) tournament. Early the following year he entered his first adult tournament, the Junior section of the South Canterbury Golf Croquet tournament. Duncan won 12 out of 15 games and the tournament.
Meanwhile Duncan was developing his association croquet skills, and had the opportunity to to use them in April 2005 at the NZCC Schools Tournament in Invercargill. The final was a cliff-hanger between Duncan and a fellow Waitakian, James McAuslen. 24-22 down, Duncan eschewed a safe roquet for a 12 yard shot at an enemy ball on the boundary. He hit, and finished off the game. Duncan also won the Otago Junior Handicap Singles, his first adult association croquet title.
The following season he appeared on television as TV One did a news item on the Aoraki Secondary School tournament. Duncan's team again won. But overshadowing this was Duncan's progress in the Arthur Ross. His win in the Regional final, beating the previous year's winner 26-1, meant a trip to Wellington, and he returned with the trophy. He consequently received an invitation to the NZCC Gold Cup Invitation event, in which he came third. These sucesses resulted in his handicap being savaged over the year from 18 to 4.
In 2008 Christchurch hosted the World Croquet Tournament. Duncan entered the Qualifying tournament in Nelson, and won, entitling him to enter the World Championship, four year's after he had been croquet's most reluctant participant! His progress was such that he was selected to represent New Zealand for the next World's, held the following year in Florida. He returned from this the winner of the Plate.
But Duncan soon capped this by being selected for, and winning, the inaugural World Under 21 Golf Croquet tournament in Cairo.
Duncan is now well established as one of New Zealand's top players. Recently he, with Dennis Bulloch held a course for Golf Croquet players in Oamaru, the town where he had first been introduced to croquet. One of the course participants was his old coach, Brian Monckton. the wheel had come full circle!
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