As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, a team of young women are keeping a Mexican tradition alive in the Rio Grande Valley.

It's through a sport called Escaramuza Charra.

Bravery, skill and a touch of femininity is what unfolds when Escaramuzas make an appearance in the world of Charrería.

These ladies are not riding on horseback like people normally would, but they're riding on side-saddle while performing a routine.

Escaramuza Charra is the only event that's exclusively for women and the only female equestrian event in Charrería, or Mexican rodeo.

"It's a very tough sport. There is a lot of men in this sport, but the women always succeed in this," Escaramuza Charra Villa de Guadalupe Captain Laura Escobedo said.

It's made up of eight riders wearing traditional Mexican dresses and sombreros, all while performing a synchronized routine on side-saddle at high speeds.

"Which is crossing, it's having hiros. The hiros are spins on the horse's foot in 360 degrees, 180 degrees, it all depends on what you decide to do in your routine, but basically, it's that, and you have to coordinate with eight girls and eight other horses," Escobedo said.

These riders are also honoring the adelitas or soldaderas, women soldiers who fought alongside men in the 1920s Mexican Revolution wearing similar gowns.

Today, Escaramuzas share the same message of strength and empowerment for women when they ride.

"That's what we want to portray, as in that we are able to do anything that we set our minds to do," Escobedo said.

Charrería was a male dominated sport, but that quickly changed in the 1950s when Escaramuzas started competing.

In 1992, Escaramuza Charra was officially recognized as a women's equestrian sport in Mexico. The sport is becoming more popular, even with the newer generations and the American way of life.

Some of the members on the team come as far as Austin to the Valley. Others cross the border from Mexico. Twice a month, all eight Escaramuza's meet at a ranch in Brownsville to practice the sport.