About: Matt Lightner Grew up in a small town in Virginia, where he started riding as soon as he could walk. At the age of 5, Matt knew he wanted to be a Horse Trainer. Throughout High School Matt worked with an older gentleman by the name of James F. Varner, “Jimmy”. At Jimmy’s, Matt learned to show horses, break colts and the overall care of horses. From 2005 to 2015, Matt worked his way up as an assistant trainer working for Harrison Shiflet, Smith Lilly, The Caters, and Rob Turner. In 2015 Matt Moved back to North Carolina to put all of his experience to use as Manager and Trainer at Chestnut Lane.
