Devon, PA--In a not so surprising move, California Chrome, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, just two weeks before the Belmont Stakes and a chance at the Triple Crown, abruptly withdrew from the Devon Horse Show this morning--the country's oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed equestrian show. "He did the [Kentucky] Derby, the Preakness, and is preparing for the Belmont. I just think trying to squeeze in Devon is not a good idea right now," said co-owner, Steve Coburn. "He's a racer not a jumper. It's pretty obvious now. I need to stop pushing the whole jumping thing...just let it go." Chrome placed 28th overall at the 2013 Devon Horse Show individual racing jumping medley with a time of 2:31, accumulating seventeen knockdowns in the process. Earlier this week, Devon officials banned the nasal strip used by Chrome in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but the horse's owners quickly dismissed the notion that this influenced the decision to pull out of the 2014 show. "Chrome can jump without the strip, I guarantee that," said Coburn. "But, this is all about preparing for the Belmont...I swear." Coburn wants New York horse racing officials to place jumps on the Belmont track to show Devon that Chrome can race and jump at the same time.
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