Dr. Charles “Chuck” Kidder, a respected equine ambulatory veterinarian and Thoroughbred breeder, passed away on July 23 at age 75 after a brief illness. A graduate of Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Kidder specialized in care for weanlings, yearlings, and broodmares, practicing for 50 years and partnering with Dr. J. K. Griggs since 1976. Alongside his wife, Dr. Nancy Cole, he owned Corner Woods, a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, where they bred notable stakes winners including champion sprinter Informed Decision and grade 1 winners Hoppertunity, Midnight Lucky, and Executiveprivilege.
Kidder was also a successful racehorse owner, with his most accomplished horse being Stellar Jayne, a multiple grade 1 winner campaigned in partnership with Spendthrift Farm and others. Purchased as a weanling for $150,000, Stellar Jayne earned multiple stakes victories and was sold for $3.6 million in 2004. Kidder is survived by his wife Nancy, son Ben, and five grandchildren. A memorial celebration of life will be held at a later date.
