Michelle Parker and Doriena
April 2, 2017 – San Juan Capistrano – Michelle Parker and Doriena, owned by Idyllic Imports, topped a field of 27 competitors in today’s $25,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix. Completing the shortened course fault-free in an impressive time of 41.007, she edged out second place finisher Bjorn Ikast with Supernatural by just 0.078 seconds. Course designer Peter Holmes of British Columbia built the inviting yet challenging 1.40m track with a tight time allowed, leaving seven riders with time faults. Another seven of the eleven riders who qualified for the jump-off emerged double-clear, each one seeming to race through the jump-off timers faster than the one before. Seventh to go, Parker snatched the lead from Ikast. The remaining riders could not catch her blazing time.
Bjorn Ikast and Supernatural
“I just had to gallop, and she really rose to the occasion,” Parker said of the nine-year-old Holsteiner mare’s jump-off performance. “I did a really sharp turn back to the in-and-out. It was challenging, but she did it well.” After six months of working with Parker, Doriena is making strides towards bigger and more challenging courses, and today she earned her first grand prix win. Fourteen qualifiers remain in the competitive Markel Insurance Grand Prix Series. Stay tuned for the third week of the Blenheim EquiSports Spring Series, which will feature the $40,000 Spring III Grand Prix, presented by The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, and a host of spectacular hunters for World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) week. 
Michelle Parker and Doriena with Alessandro Chiochetti, Melissa Brandes, Salvador Alvarado, and Chiara and Ariana Zuccolotto
RESULTS
$25,000 Markel Insurance 1.40M Grand Prix
Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time
1. 192 – Doriena – Michelle Parker – Idyllic Imports – 0/0/41.007
2. 734 – Supernatural – Bjorn Ikast – Bjorn Ikast – 0/0/41.085
3. 198 – Asombro – Hannah Loly – Hannah Loly – 0/0/42.121
4. 639 – Arc de Triomphe – Daniel Pedraza – Daniel Pedraza – 0/0/43.420
5. 262 – Rammstein – Joie Gatlin – Jasmine Weber-Talley – 0/0/43.473
6. 283 – Coupis – Robert Blanchette – Robert Blanchette – 0/0/44.211
7. 600 – Bitalica – Keri Potter – Julia Koetting – 0/0/47.709
8. 375 – Un Diamant des Forets – Jim Ifko – Eventyre Farms, Ltd – 0/4/39.966
9. 336 – Peninsula Vertigo – Samara Heinrichs – Marilyn Dawson-Dixon – 0/4/43.582
10. 143 – Caretol – Marc Grock – Moonlite Beach, LLC – 0/4/44.895
11. 420 – Chello Z – Josephina Nor Lantzman – Josephina Nor Stables, LLC – 0/EL
12. 247 – Caylee PCH – Nicki Wilcox – Kristin Buchanan – 1/81.925
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