lightning bar died in june 1960 from colitis-x, a virus of unknown origin that can kill quickly without warning. the virus infected a large number of pollard's horses. only three horses that caught the disease survived. pollard was so heart-broken, he sold off his remaining stock and did not return to the quarter horse business for 15 years. pollard later said about the loss of his horses that "it was a nightmare when they were wiped out. even now, we can still feel the sadness of losing those horses." another time, pollard said that "someone once said that a man deserves one good woman and one good dog in his lifetime. to that quip i would add one good horse. i certainly had one in lightning bar."