Harris Goldsberry

Modern-era Ranching

Inducted 2002

Harris Goldsberry was born March 17, 1915, in the Badlands 50 miles northeast of Beach. Born to James and Susan (Brown) Goldsberry, Harris lived his entire life on the family ranch near where he was born.

He always wanted to be a horseman and rancher. He learned horse trading at a young age and by age 15, was working for a neighbor Richard Moore. During the Great Depression, he worked hard gathering wild horses and selling them to buy back his parents’ ranch.

He married Margaret Sullivan in 1937, and they had three sons. Harris knew good horses at a glance and also maintained a quality herd of Hereford cattle. The Goldsberrys started raising registered Quarter horses in 1955, a breed new to North Dakota. They now host a fall production sale.

The ranch was recognized by the American Quarter Horse Association for 45 consecutive years of registered breeding. The Dickinson Roughrider Commission honored Harris as 1989 Rancher of the Year.

The Goldsberrys now have a herd of Hereford cattle and 30 to 40 brood mares. Harris continues to be involved in all aspects of the horse programs and enjoys wild-horse gatherings, old-time cowboys and his common-sense take on politics.

Harris passed away in June of 2011.