MICHAEL Boyce will be remembered as a top family man, brilliant campdrafter, successful racehorse owner and breeder, just as much as a good bloke.

He was born in the Freestone area, went to Freestone State School and then boarded at Woodlawn at Lismore before returning to the family farm.

Michael and wife Glenice settled at Freestone after their marriage and bought a dairy farm, Allandale, at Felton East, in the early 1970s and milked cows for two decades.

Their children Brian, Denis, Kevin, Annmarie, Celine, Mick, Genny, Julie, Geraldine, Veronica and Hughie all started school at St Stephen's in Pittsworth and were involved in horse sports down the years.

As well as being a successful dairy farmer, Michael bred Australian Stock Horses, which he used in campdrafting, at Allandale, and also bred racehorses.

After they retired from dairying, Michael continued to breed horses and was a regular at cattle sales in Warwick and Toowoomba, buying and sell from time to time.

In 2009, Michael and Glenice moved to Nobby but little changed, his interest in horses and cattle continued on their new property.

He was best known for his success at campdrafting. Michael first attended the Warwick Rodeo at the age of nine and for the next 69 years was at the rodeo, including 60 successive years as a campdrafter.

Michael won the Canning Downs Campdraft riding Rifle Lady in 1992 at the Warwick Rodeo and backed up to win the JHS Barnes Memorial Trophy for the horse with the best type, consistency and ability the same year.

He made seven Warwick Gold Cup finals and had a best placing of seventh on Rivoli Dollar.

At the inaugural Champion of Champions draft in Warwick, he was half-a-point off the winning score riding Cattle Ray. He won more than 100 drafts on his stallion Cattle Ray.

Son Mick, the sixth born of 11 children, said his father was a bit of a home body.

"He didn't like camping and preferred to be at home," Mick said.

"Dad camped out at campdrafts on the odd occasion but not a lot. He would truck the horses each day to the Warwick Rodeo."

The furthest he travelled to campdrafts was Glen Innes in New South Wales and Paradise Lagoons in Central Queensland. He was keen on all horse sports.

Michael and Glenice bred racehorses and won the Weetwood in Toowoomba in 1982 with Allandale King, a horse that won in Brisbane and had 20 plus wins.

Allandale Queen also won 20 plus races for the Boyce family. He bred from a few retired racing mares.

Mick said his father was hard working but very fair.

"We all looked up to him for advice and he instilled discipline and a hard work ethic in each of us. His siblings talk about the example he was to them.

"He would talk to anyone and try to help people," Mick said.

"Dad always considered himself a Warwick person despite moving to Felton East and then Nobby."

Long-time campdraft commentator Lorna Fanning said Michael Boyce had a unique style of riding that worked for him.

"He was always so consistent and was regularly in finals wherever he went. He was popular in the campdrafting community and always willing to offer advice to up and coming riders," she said.

Michael is survived by wife Glenice, 11 children, their partners and 25 grandchildren. His funeral service is on Monday at 10am at St Mary's Catholic Church in Warwick.