Cim-Bad 1985 with owner Donna Miller and Trainer Gordon Downey
Legendary Appaloosa Cim-Bad was humanely euthanized at 7:45 Friday, February 19th due to complications from age. The champion gelding would have been 31 this April.
Former owner Donna Miller feels that you didn’t own Cim-Bad; he owned you. “I’ve had seven World and National Champions since him, but there was nothing like getting on his back,” she said. “If you didn’t mess it up, you’d be fine. If you got in his way, it was your fault. He was smarter than any of us. And, for anyone that rode him, he turned you into a somebody.”
The 16.1 gelding was having difficulty standing on Friday; Miller reports the veterinarian came out to the Sparks home, but after some Banamine injections he was still experiencing difficulty. “Cara (Sparks) sent me a text on Friday, saying Cim-Bad wasn’t doing well. Her parents wanted her to make the decision, and I give her a lot of credit. Even though she’s only 20, she pulled it together and stayed with him until the end,” said Miller.
Cim-Bad leaves a lasting legacy: Champion and Reserve Champion status in both Western and English disciplines; 140 Amateur, 301 Open performance, and 1,500 Youth points; 16 Registers of Merit and 5 Superior Event awards; 1985 ‘World’s Best Appaloosa’; and a Youth Western Pleasure 12 & Under win at age 23. But, Miller says the amazing thing is the connection he brought about among those that loved him. “There’s five girls that are forever tied together, because of this horse.”
Farewell, Cim-Bad, enjoy running in greener pastures. You are loved.
For more about Cim-Bad in the Equine Chronicle:
Stock Horse Greats – Where Are They Now? article in the Sept/Oct 2009 issue is available in our online digital archive
Plus, a 4-page profile was included in the September/October, 2002 issue
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Amy, Lisa, and Tom
Thanks to all of you for this tribute to Cim-Bad. He truly was quite unique with a mind and spirit all of his own. I will still never forget Kevin Lord trying to administer some meds to him in Florida, and Kevin comes flying out of the stall with Cim-Bad following closely behind in hot pursuit!!!! How we will miss this Dennis the Menace, with a heart of gold. Because Cim-Bad was the stuff that dreams were made of.
With my warmest regards and thanks to all of you
Donna Miller
We are all sad.
I too was privileged by loving and respecting of this fine individual.
I know what a champion is thanks to this once in a lifetime horse.
Cim-Bad made history and also many friends & Fans. I was one!
Thanks for honoring Donna and other previous teammates of his!
Each have alot to be thankful for…thanks to Cim-Bad’s generous nature & intellegence.
Wow… what a horse. I can hardly believe he was that old! But they were showing him when i was in youth… wow! My sympathies to all of you.
He was one of the greatest , a true legend in Appaloosa history. He will be very much missed by so many that loved him and showed against him.
One Awesome Horse!! So sorry for your loss Donna. You were a hard team to beat! How old was he? He lived a good life.
He was a truly a legend!
Truely, one of the ApHC All Around GREAT ones!
Cim-Bad was one of my favorites as a kid meeting him Gordon and Donna the first year i started showing Apps. WOW what a team they were! He truely made his mark on the industry being as versatile as he was he definitly will go down as one of the great ones. Its amazing he lived to be 31 and won a national championchip in his 20s. My heart gos out to all the lives he touched he will be greatly missed!
I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to have known Cim-Bad. I could share a million stories from my time with him. He was an absolutely amazing horse. The first 3 months with him were the hardest I’ve ever known with any horse but they were worth it. He demanded that his riders prove they were worthy of working with him, respected him, and that they would do their job as part of the team. After that, he would do anything asked of him. He taught me so much and changed my entire outlook on riding. He had such a genuine personality with tons of integrity and generosity.
I could go on and on about how he’d untie my shoes when I was standing in his stall talking to him or how he’d show off whenever he knew there was a camera around, and all the simple things that made him great. But the bottom line is he was just so special and there will never be another like him. I am very grateful to have known him and to the people who made that possible. I don’t think any words could ever fully express what this wonderful and talented horse meant to me and the impact he had on my life.
Thank you, Cim-Bad.
Thank you so much to Lisa, Amy, Tom for paying tribute to Cim-Bad in your magazine and for all your support for his fans and those who love him.
Thank you all for your kind comments. I have been so fortunate to have had Cim in my life for the past 11 years. Not only was he my horse, but he was my best friend. I will forever miss and love him. My family and I had a 30th birthday party for him this past April. Please feel free to add me as a friend on facebook if you would like to see pictures. He always loved attention and being in the spot light.
I remember the first time I saw Cim-Bad at Eastern States. He had a metallic glow that was so unique and a gorgeous mover. He will never be forgotten!
So sorry to hear of this loss. The great horses touch our lives for a while…and our hearts forever.
I am so blessed to have spent so many years with this amazing horse! Thank you to everyone for their thoughtful posts. He is like Donna said what dreams are made of!