Name: The Dreadhead Cowboy asks for help days after animal cruelty arrest: ‘Lori come help me. I can’t do it alone’
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The Dreadhead Cowboy asks for help days after animal cruelty arrest: ‘Lori come help me. I can’t do it alone’

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AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneSep 25, 2020 at 7:31 pmIf Adam Hollingsworth — the so-called Dreadhead Cowboy — had to do it all over again, he said he would still gladly make the unauthorized gallop on the Dan Ryan Expressway to spotlight violence against children in Chicago this year.The urban horseman enjoyed local celebrity as an activist and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s census ambassador before being . But on Thursday, he pleaded for help from the mayor’s office and Chicago’s pantheon of famous and socially conscious rappers to make the criminal case go away.AdvertisementHollingsworth quickly went viral Monday as he livestreamed his horseback ride on the expressway during the afternoon rush hour. “I shut down the Dan Ryan, Kids' Lives Matter,” he streamed . But the excitement of the moment quickly melted away at the end of the ride when the animal collapsed, critically injured, and Hollingsworth was arrested. In addition to the felony, he faces misdemeanor counts of trespassing and reckless conduct.Speaking with reporters in Woodlawn on Thursday for the first time since he bailed out of Cook County custody on $25,000 bond, Hollingsworth said he would never harm any of his five beloved horses.Advertisement“Yes, I’d do it again,” said Hollingworth, 33. “I’ve been to jail. I’ve got a background. I’m not perfect. I would rather go to jail for something like (this). That is something worth going to jail for.” Hollingsworth added: “And I didn’t mean no harm on my horse, at all. I’m a horse- (and) animal-loving person. My focus is Kids Lives Matter. And If a person can’t agree with that, I don’t know what to call you.”Surrounded by supporters on a vacant lot on East 63rd Street that he said he hoped to one day purchase and erect a horse stable on, Hollingsworth said he still had not learned of the fate of NuNu, his brown and white horse that authorities said may need to be euthanized.The animal was dehydrated, exhausted and injured when it collapsed on the asphalt roadway near 95th Street following a 7.5-mile ride. Authorities said the horse was transported to an animal rescue shelter for medical evaluation.“I’ve been looking for my horse. They haven’t told me anything about my horse,” Hollingsworth said, adding that he was looking for a private lawyer. He also cast doubt on authorities' claims regarding his animal’s condition, saying it was an attempt to sabotage his image.“Look at my history when it comes to my work. If you look up the Dreadhead Cowboy, you’ll see all the things I’ve done for the community. My focus is on the Kids Lives Matter,” he said.At his bail hearing, Hollingworth’s court-appointed attorney called him passionate about horseback riding, adding there was no indication he was trying to harm his horse.With a police vehicle and supporters riding on motorcycles alongside him, Hollingsworth’s stunt provided the pandemic-weary city with a brief distraction similar to the Chance the Snapper and coyote sightings.But since his arrest and court appearance, Hollingsworth said he’s received online jeers and death threats related to the belief that he abused his horse.AdvertisementHollingsworth has said the ride was meant to shut down the Dan Ryan and bring attention to violence against children during a year where dozens of children 17 and younger have been fatally shot on city streets.Before a judge earlier this week, prosecutors alleged that Hollingsworth kicked and whipped the horse to force the animal on a 7.5-mile trip down the expressway. By the time it collapsed on the pavement near 95th Street, it was in critical condition, prosecutors said.The animal was extremely dehydrated, its heart rate had doubled, it had cuts to its front legs, and its eyes were “dilated to the point where they looked like cartoon eyes,” Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin DeBoni said. “If medical attention was not rendered immediately, the animal would have succumbed to injuries sustained.”Hollingsworth became a curious online sensation as a Black cowboy showing up randomly at South Side and lakefront locations on horseback. He has tried to use his growing celebrity to promote awareness about gun violence against children, as well as horseback riding in largely Black neighborhoods of Chicago. A young man , Hollingsworth said learning to ride and owning his own horse changed his life.Before ending his news conference, Hollingworth called upon Chicago rappers such as Common, Chance the Rapper and Kanye West to support him. He also called upon Lightfoot to help with his legal problems.“When she called upon me, I was there for her,” Hollingworth said. “What I did Monday was my stress signal. Lori come help me. I can’t do it alone.”Advertisement Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneSep 25, 2020 at 7:31 pmIf Adam Hollingsworth — the so-called Dreadhead Cowboy — had to do it all over again, he said he would still gladly make the unauthorized gallop on the Dan Ryan Expressway to spotlight violence against children in Chicago this year.The urban horseman enjoyed local celebrity as an activist and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s census ambassador before being . But on Thursday, he pleaded for help from the mayor’s office and Chicago’s pantheon of famous and socially conscious rappers to make the criminal case go away.AdvertisementHollingsworth quickly...

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William Lee

The Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are named), it remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. It had the 6th highest circulation for American newspapers in 2017.

The Dreadhead Cowboy asks for help days after animal cruelty arrest: ‘Lori come help me. I can’t do it alone’

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