Sheri Townsend and her daughter Saegen Ellis, of Cache, are not your everyday mother-daughter duo.

Both have been riding horses for as long as they can remember.

“They put me on a horse when I was a year old,” said Townsend.

Today, they both ride competitively in several events, with Saegen riding in the junior division.

Townsend says she will be competing first in flags and then in barrel racing as she tosses a saddle onto “Snowy,” a 19-year-old horse that has been in competition for 15 or 16 years.

She has two other horses, “Lady” and “Missy” that Saegen rides.

Because Saegen competes with several organizations, the two are on the road almost every weekend.

After they finish up at the Grand National Horseman’s Association Finals at the Grady County Fairgrounds, they will be off to Vernon, Texas next week where Saegen will be competing with the Junoir Rodeo Cowboys Association for four days.

She also competes in the Heart of Oklahoma Youth Rodeo Association.

Only 13, Saegen has already won two saddles. One in the goat tying competition, the other in barrel racing.

Three generations of Townsend’s family have loved spending time in the saddle. Her father Wallace Townsend, whom Saegen calls “Paw Paw,” is a team roper.

“My grandmother, Mary Little, doesn’t ride, but she always supports me,” says Saegen.