Staff photo / Bob Coupland Anina Karlovic, supervisor of industry and trade programs at Trumbull Career and Technical Center is greeted by one of the 10 horses inside the new $2.2 million equestrian center which the TCTC board toured on Thursday. An 11th horse donated to the program will arrive shortly.

CHAMPION — Members of the Trumbull Career and Technical Center board had the opportunity to tour the newly completed $2.2 million equestrian center.

Horses could be seen looking out stall windows as a group of more than 20 people walked into the new building which has an indoor riding arena, indoor and outdoor horse washing and grooming stations, classroom, office, heated restrooms and stalls for the 10 horses.

Lisa Street, equestrian program instructor, and Olivia Koehrsen, program assistant and a graduate of the TCTC equestrian program in 2021, led the group on the tour of the heated building.

The previous structure which houses the horses was torn down last spring to provide space for the new building.

Street said the new building has areas where students can place the saddles and other items for the horses.

Anina Karlovic, supervisor of industry and trade programs, said with classrooms, offices and the horses all in one building, less class instructional time is lost since the previous classrooms and offices were at the main TCTC building. Students had to walk to the barn.

“The horses can also be easily moved from their stalls to the indoor arena. We are not losing any instructional time,” Karlovic said.

Horses named “Boss” and “Tilly” watched from their stalls as the tour group walked along the hall area where the horses stay.

The equestrian study program will soon be getting its 11th horse.

The TCTC board on Thursday approved a donation of a 22-year-old American Quarter Horse mare named “Ultra Mini Mag” from Jessica Maiyer.

Karlovic said the horses previously did not have large windows in their stalls to look outside but now they do and they can be seen watching the people entering and exiting.

“I saw Boss looking at all of us as we walked up to the door,” she said.

Koehrsen said the horses are very relaxed and calm in their new stalls.

One of the horses is 28 years old.

Board members said they were excited to see the new structure.

Board member Michele Garman said she can see the difference in the new building, which has much more space and easy access to and from each area including taking the horses to the arena.

Karlovic said the center is located east of the main school complex.

She said over winter break, a lot of work was done, including fire inspections of the building, exterior lighting and fencing. Over the holidays, the horses were moved into the new building as well.

Karlovic said TCTC was waiting for the final occupancy permits to move the equestrian program classrooms into the building.

The center has 12 horse stalls with the riding arena attached to the new building, which will be handicapped accessible.

While the demolition and construction work was being done, horses were moved into temporary stalls in the indoor arena.

The public will be able to come inside the new building April 24 when a public community day will be hosted at TCTC. There will also be a ribbon cutting at 5:15 p.m.

The first horse show will take place April 26.