The Droughtmaster and Thoroughbred worlds are poorer with the news that Alan Lamont Atkinson has died, just shy of his 82nd birthday.
Mr Atkinson, was the son of one of the Droughtmaster breeds early pioneers, the late Monty Atkinson.
He was born at Glen Ruth in the Mount Garnett district and later moved to Mungalla, before settling in adult life on Valley of the Lagoons, near Ingham.
He made a major contribution to the Droughtmaster breed giving 24 years of service on the board.
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He was a director from 1966 to 1971, and again from 1973 to 1993.
He served as president from 1985 to 1988.
Mr Atkinson also had a formidable reputation as a master horseman.
In his later years, he moved to the Darling Downs and established Furlong Thoroughbred stud, near Greenmount with his brother Robbie and his nephew Jim.
The Atkinsons bred and raced top-class filly Brief Embrace who was by their USA shuttle sire Irgun.
She won three stakes races in Melbourne and was a Group 1 runner-up to Bel Esprit in the 2002 Blue Diamond Stakes.
They bred Gold Trail who was Furlong Stud's first Group 1 winner in the 2009 Galaxy at Randwick.
At the time Mr Atkinson said it was his brother Rob's interest in pedigree analysis that played a key role in the ground-breaking victory.
"We owned a Danewin mare named Trail of Gold who had won a stakes race at Randwick," he said at the time.
Mr Atknson spent his final years at Farnham near Taroom and eventually moved into local aged care.
The family will celebrate Mr Atkinson's life with a service and farewell on April 9 at Mungalla, Ingham at 10am.
He is survived by his four daughters Kylie Graham, Sherri Philp, Gayle Shann and Robyn.
Queensland Country Life will publish a full obituary on Mr Atkinson's life, once it is released by the family.
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