Born in 1951, Lightning Bar was bred to be a racehorse. Injuries and illnesses kept him from racing past the age of two. He was bred by Art Pollard, who owned him his entire life. He was fathered by Three Bars, a Thoroughbred stallion later inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame. Lightning Bar's mother was Della P, a daughter of the Thoroughbred stallion Doc Horn. His maternal grandmother, was a mare who was never given a name and was sired by Old D. J. Art Pollard bought Della P from "Dink" Parker for $1,750 ($ as of ) in the late 1940s. Della P was bred in Louisiana, which was a leading state breeding short distance racehorses during the years 1900–1940. Della P was brought to Arizona by Parker. 