PENDLETON — George Wright, 15, has been riding on the Seattle Cossacks’ signature Harley-Davidsons since he was in the womb.

When his mother, Leah Wright, was pregnant and informed his father, Jimi Wright, that her water had broken, Jimi ran to start the truck. As he ushered Leah to the vehicle, she shook her head.

“No, I want to take the bike,” she said.

“You want to take the bike?” Jimi responded, surprised.

So with his mother 9 months pregnant with him, George took his first ride on a motorcycle to the hospital. Jimi recalls feeling a sudden slap on his back as the nurses arrived and shepherded Leah into the hospital. An older woman had just hit him with her purse and was scolding him for his recklessness.

“I had just wanted to feel the cold air,” Leah said, shrugging.

On Friday afternoon, the Wrights and the Seattle Cossacks returned to Pendleton Bike Week and ignited a weekend full of stunts, human pyramids and maneuvers on 1930s- and 1940s-style Harley-Davidsons throughout the Pendleton Convention Center parking lot.

The Cossacks were originally formed in 1938 and named after a Russian cavalry that was famous for its horsemanship. Now, the group consists of 14 active members that perform 20 to 30 shows around the country each year.

George is just the latest member of the Wright family to become a part of the group’s stunt and drill shows. Jimi Wright’s grandfather, father and uncle were also members of the team. Jimi joined along with his brother in the 1970s.

George’s three brothers, including Cole Wright and Brayden Laukala who are also performing this weekend, are also members.

Now an apprentice on the team, George rode along on the back of the bikes, fulfilling his role as a “top man” and climbing atop the group’s three-body-high human pyramid with three bikes as the base. As he rose to the top, his arms stretched high into the sky, arms locked with two others beside him as dozens of people sat around to watch.

Still without his license or motorcycle endorsement at just 15 years old and easily one of the smallest on the older and experienced team, George will have to wait to drive in shows until he’s been accepted as a full-time member.

But given his family’s history, being a Seattle Cossack always seemed like a forgone conclusion.

“We always knew we’d be a part of the team,” Cole said. “We grew up going to and watching the shows, so we’ve always wanted to be a part of them.”

Jimi Wright doesn’t shy away from bringing their family dynamic to the show.

One of the team’s stunts includes propping a plank of wood up on one of its members as a couple of others lie down perpendicular to the ramp. Then, a rider revs his bike up and off the ramp, jumping over the other members.

As the team arranged for the stunt on Friday, Jimi Wright got onto his bike while George and the others positioned themselves on the asphalt, the plank leaning against George’s stomach.

“You’re going to run over your own son?” one of the members called from the center of the lot as Jimi started his bike.

“I’ve been waiting for this for years,” Jimi said, chuckling to the crowd and riding over to the front of the makeshift straightaway.

Revving his engine, Jimi began burning out his tires on the asphalt to build the tension before speeding toward George and the ramp only to pull away several feet before going over it.

As the crowd laughed, the Cossacks repositioned themselves with some larger members below the plank this time so that Jimi could actually complete the jump.

With their jump and other stunts completed, the entire team rode around the edges of the lot to give every member of the crowd a high five before settling into a line. As they took off their caps and tipped them to the crowd, the Seattle Cossacks were greeted with cheers and applause for the show that’s been generations in the making.