Inductee: Daniel C. Berry III

 

BORN

December 4, 1947

BIRTHPLACE

Lovington, NM

PARENTS

Dan and Wilma Berry

SPOUSE

Libby Berry

CHILDREN

Jessica Berry Hilton

Shaun

Jeff Hilton, Son-in-Law

Hannah, Luke and Dillon, grandchildren

Danny Berry was raised in Lea County by his parents, Dan and Wilma Berry on the family ranch west of Eunice.  Danny’s family moved to the Berry Ranch in 1932.  Growing up, he was the only child on the four to five ranches around his own, giving him experiences that made him the man he is today.  He Graduated from Eunice High School in 1966.  He was an active participant in LCJRA and AJRA as a youth.

While attending Sul Ross State University, Danny was on the rodeo team as a roper, and became president of the Sul Ross Rodeo Club.  He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business.  Danny met his wife, Libby, at the many Wednesday night team ropings hosted by Libby’s dad, Giles Lee, on the Swamp Angel Ranch south of Lovington.  They were married in 1969.  An avid team roper, Danny won the Windy Ryon Team Roping in Fort Worth in 1979 and won the Lea County Team Roping Championship several times.  In 1982, Danny started competing in single steer roping.  He competed in the Invitational Steer Roper’s Association and won their year-end championship several times.  He went on to compete in the PRCA as a steer roper where he was the runner up for Rookie of the Year in 1985. Friends who steer roped with Danny say his horse JJ was one of the best.  They say you couldn’t ride JJ for anything else, but there was hardly a better horse to rope steers. 

Danny and his brother, Philip, bought the family ranch in 1977.  Danny now owns, operates, and lives at the Berry Ranch.  Besides raising Charolais and Hereford crossbred cattle, Danny has expanded into raising some straight bred Red Angus cattle.  He and Libby lease the Swamp Angel Ranch at Buckeye and are partners with Bill Sims in the B&S Partnership Ranch at Halfway.

Danny has served on the Lea County Fair Board including being Rodeo Chairman several years, as well as serving on the Lea County Road Advisory Board, and the Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame Board.  He served as an Adult Director for the Lea County Junior Rodeo Association.  He is a member of the New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association and of Our Savior Lutheran Church.  In 2004, Danny was honored with the Young Rancher Award, now the Outstanding Rancher Award, for the Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.  Danny feels ranching is his heritage and he is dedicated to conservation of the land.  He wants to see this good life continue with his family.