By Laura Scaletti
Portraits and Styling by Shawna Whitty
American fashion designer Tom Ford once said, “The most important things in life are the connections you make with others.” Autumn Janesky’s journey in both the equestrian and design worlds is a testament to the power of connections she’s made along the way.
In January 2023, at just 24 years old, Autumn launched her Autumn Skye Design, a business that focuses on interior, graphic and event design. While running a one-woman design operation, Autumn also remains active in the hunter-jumper world both as a competitor and obtaining sponsorships for boutique horse shows, all while building a new equestrian business venture with her mom, Wendy.
Twist of Fate
When Autumn said yes to a playdate in second grade, she had no idea that one afternoon would alter the course of her life. “My friend asked me if I wanted to come with her to the barn to watch her pony lesson after school. I’d always loved horses, but no one in my family had any experience with horses before, so when I asked my mom if I could go, she was a little hesitant,” Autumn said. “I’m so grateful she said yes that day. We spent the afternoon at the barn, and I had a blast!”
Autumn not only watched her friend’s lesson, by the end of the afternoon Autumn found herself in the saddle. Shortly thereafter, Autumn was signed up for weekly lessons and quickly became obsessed with horses and the sport. Those weekly lessons soon turned into almost daily trips to the barn.
At age 9, two years after her first taste of barn life, Autumn started showing in the Short Stirrup division. “I was definitely born with a competitive gene. Once I started showing, I just wanted to keep showing and keep getting better. After I proved to my mom how much I wanted to be competitive in the sport, she got me my first pony, Schnip, when I was 10,” Autumn said.
A Welsh/Arabian cross, Schnip was a spitfire and a bit more “expressive” than the other pony hunters. “We didn’t often win because of our style, but I didn’t care. I loved my pony, and I was having fun,” Autumn said.
As Autumn’s skills increased and she grew as pony kids do, she found herself on horses in both the hunter and jumper rings. Autumn had her first big win in 2013 at the Winter Equestrian Festival when she was circuit champion in the Modified Children’s Jumper division with Peper Gold.
“At the beginning of the circuit, I told myself that my goal was to be circuit champion and I was going to do whatever it took to get there. I kept my head down and worked hard every day, at home and at the show, to try and achieve my goal,” Autumn said. “I couldn’t have done it without Peper Gold. He had a heart of gold and wanted to achieve the goal as much as I did.”
Although she was a little hesitant to let Autumn experience horses at first, Wendy has become a horse lover and super horse show mom along the way. “She’s always been my biggest supporter in my riding career,” Autumn said. “When I was growing up, she always made sure I had all my things together, stayed on schedule, was there for early morning schools and late evening classes, and was always at the in-gate with open arms on good days and bad. I wouldn’t be where I am in my riding career today without all her support over the years.”
Temptation
When Autumn was 12, she made another connection that would have a huge impact on her life when she teamed up with her horse Temptation. Since Temptation was known as the “crazy horse” in the barn, Autumn was a bit apprehensive to get on him the first time her trainer suggested she try him out.
“When I got on Temptation, he was a perfect angel. He took care of me, and we just clicked immediately. Little did we know the star he would become and how he would take me places I only dreamed of,” Autumn said.
The duo moved up the ranks from the Children’s Hunters to the 3’6” Junior Hunters and Big Eq classes. In 2015, Autumn and Temptation won the classic round at Junior Hunter Finals in the 3’3” Small Juniors 16-17.
“That win was so special to me, not just because it was Junior Hunter Finals, but because Temptation was my part-time equitation horse, and I was so nervous! I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. I kept telling myself to do my best and it would be a good day if I came home with any ribbon,” Autumn said. “I wasn’t expecting that ribbon to be blue! I was really focused, and we got the job done. I was so excited when I heard my scores as they were the highest I had ever received at the time.”
It was the next year that all the pieces finally came together for Autumn and Temptation as they were Grand Junior Champions at the 2016 Upperville Colt & Horse Show. “Throughout my Junior career, I struggled to smooth out the wrinkles in my rounds. At Upperville, I was able to prove to myself that I could put down consistent trips,” she said.
That fall, Autumn and Temptation both packed their bags and headed to Georgia for Autumn to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). “It was so wonderful to have my best friend there to go through the college experience together. Being able to go to the barn after class and see him was the best; no matter what was happening in my life, he was always there by my side,” Autumn said.
While at SCAD, Autumn was a member of the equestrian team. “Being part of the team was a huge part of my college life. The equestrian team fulfilled my obsession with riding horses and need for competition daily, kept me highly active and provided me with a sense of community and belonging,” Autumn said. “In retrospect, the SCAD Equestrian Team gave me a strong equitation and horsemanship foundation, lifelong friends and a continuous ability to make connections just from telling others I went to SCAD.”
One of Autumn’s favorite riding team memories was from the 2019 ANRC Championships. Unlike typical collegiate shows, riders are able to participate on school horses, leased horses or their own horses. Autumn partnered with Temptation to help the team earn Overall Champion.
“Winning ANRC was so special, because of the long road and teamwork it took to get there. Over four phases—flat test, medal round, derby round and written horsemanship test—everyone must pull their weight to earn the team championship, no one person can do it alone,” Autumn said. “I’m proud I was able to contribute to make it happen.”
Designing Woman
It wasn’t all horsing around while Autumn was at SCAD. She specifically sought out the college to pursue a career in the arts. “I realized that I had a passion for design but was fuzzy on the trajectory of my career. College helped me define my career, taught me the tricks of the trade and provided me with the tools to get my career started,” Autumn said.
Autumn quickly gravitated to interior design once she started her studies, as she wanted to make a positive impact on people’s daily lives. “I decided to focus on interior design because I personally feel a strong connection to my surroundings and know the effect that a space can have on one’s mental and physical state of being. I love working on residential interior design because our homes are where we should feel the most comfortable and at ease,” Autumn said. “Having a home that feels like you created a sanctuary is my goal, it allows you to relax so you can be rejuvenated to take on all the crazy tasks of life.”
Prior to opening her Autumn Skye Design in January 2023, Autumn had the opportunity to do internships with Dougie Mutch at Gracie Street Interior Design in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Nancy McCormack at Middlebury Furniture and Home Design in Middlebury, Connecticut. “Dougie and Nancy both gave me great groundwork and experience to build my own business,” she said.
Autumn’s tagline for her business is “Curate your lifestyle” as she works with each client to carefully create products that best represent them and their vision and helps achieve their lifestyle goals. “I offer interior design services from floor plans and mood boards to photorealistic renderings and full-service design; graphic design services from logo design and full brand suites to merchandise and packaging design; and event services from themes, itineraries and menus to full planning and event-day coordination,” she said.
One of the most challenging design problems Autumn tackles for customers is developing their user journey and how they use their space. Much like a rider needs to know the needs of their horse to make them go their best, Autumn needs to create a connection with each customer to anticipate what they truly want out of a project. Like horses, every client is different, so what may work great for one client may not work for another.
Since opening Autumn Skye Design, Autumn has been able to combine her passion for horses and design. “The horse world is all about connections, and through those connections I’ve been able to get design opportunities. Many of my design clients are equestrians, and just talking to people at horse shows is great networking,” she said.
Autumn’s favorite way to combine her two passions is through barn design. “Our horses give us so much, the least we can do is provide them with the best life possible,” she said. Autumn is taking her own advice to heart as she and her mom start a new horse-related business venture and build a barn in Brewster, New York.
“The 42-stall barn will be a horse sanctuary for working and retired horses. Our inspiration comes from our retired horses and our dream to provide them with a peaceful and comfortable oasis to live out the rest of their lives,” Autumn said.
Supporting Others
In addition to making a difference in the lives of her clients and horses in her life, Autumn is committed to giving back via her mom’s WSJ Foundation and through work in the horse show world. “It’s important for me to give back because I’m a firm believer in giving back as much as you take in the world, if not more. I know I’m very lucky to have so many supporters and opportunities and I feel an obligation to support others and help them find opportunities to get themselves where they want to be in life,” she said.
Wendy created the WSJ Foundation to provide emotional and physical healing to its beneficiaries, both human and animals, who have faced trauma and adversity. “After facing her own hardship with a tough situation and not knowing a way out, my mom knew she wanted to help others in similar situations find stable ground to stand on and offer them a hand up to living a better life,” Autumn said. “I’m a board member of the foundation and have witnessed firsthand the benefits a little tender love and care has on someone who’s faced these difficult situations.”
Autumn is also focused on making horse shows better for horses and riders. As she witnessed boutique shows die out and get overtaken by “big box” shows, Autumn was inspired to do what she could to keep traditions alive and help smaller shows survive.
“Over the past few years, I’ve been getting involved in the production of horse shows through volunteering to run beneficiary events, doing internship programs and working in sponsor relations and lounge design. Through this work, I’ve been able to give back to a fantastic organization, learned the ins and outs of putting on a horse show and help get sponsors to keep these special shows alive,” Autumn said.
Autumn hopes to inspire her peers to get involved working with the smaller shows and join their boards as well. “I think it’s important for more young people to share their thoughts and opinions on our industry, because this is our sport, too, and sharing different, fresher ideas can be very beneficial for positive changes,” she said.
Designing the Future
Currently based in Savannah, Georgia, Autumn keeps her horses with trainer Alex Hamer at their farm in Brewster in the summer and Wellington in the winter. It can take a fair amount of juggling to make everything work, but she tries to spend a few weeks at a time with her horses wherever they are.
“I’m showing in the Amateur Owner Hunters with my horses Damas de Tannerre and Romana Black, and in the Adult Equitation on my horse Appointed. I’m hoping to get back in the jumper ring soon, on my young horse, Clarity, who is out of my Junior jumper S-Class,” Autumn said. “It warms my heart to know that although S-Class had a shorter career than we hoped that someday I will be back in the ring on her offspring.”
Autumn is also thankful for the flexibility that comes with running her own business. “Thankfully, most of my design services are virtual so I can pretty much work from anywhere. I’ve gotten pretty good at finding random spots in barns and hotels to set up my laptop and get some work done,” she said.
As Autumn creates the vision boards for her future, she can’t imagine life without design and horses. “I want to keep continuing my craft in design and riding to be the best I can be,” she said.
Visit Autumn at AutumnSkyeDesign.com and on Instagram @autumnskyedesign
Photos by Shawna Whitty/SAS Equestrian, sasequestrian.com and on Instagram @sasequestrian
