Groom Elite class honored at Tryon International Equestrian Center

The 18 new graduates of the Groom Elite 101 program at Isothermal Community College were recognized recently during the Saturday Night Lights event at Tryon International Equestrian Center recently.

Groom Elite 101 is a 40-hour program that provides grooms and horse owners the knowledge and skills they need for effective equine care and management.

The nationally recognized program was designed to focus on race horses. However, it was modified specifically for Isothermal to address the needs of grooms for horses in the jumping, show and hunting disciplines.

Isothermal's president, Walter Dalton, along with Sharon Decker and Molly Oakman of Tryon International Equestrian Center and Dr. Reid McLellan of Groom Elite, recognized the newly certified students and their instructors during the season opening event on Saturday evening.

The graduates are Brooke Stinson, Sarah Shellee Nelson, Caitlin Smith, Esther Crain, Tena McKelvin, Barbara Sonnenschein, Brooke Klein, Emily Hill, Ginny Moore, Julianne Ednie, Lucy Hooper, Meredith Clark, Madeline Boley, Rebecca Drumgool, Robert Leddy, Lindsay Vanderwey, Skyler Warren and Peter Young.

The instructors for the Groom Elite program are Dr. Thann Boyum, Erin Gambrell, Lilia White and Anita Williamson, who were awarded "Certified Groom Elite Instructor" status by McLellan that evening. Isothermal Community College was also named a "Certified Groom Elite Institution."

To find out more about the program or to sign up for a class, call 828-894-3092 or visit http://www.isothermal.edu/polk/index.html.