The man known as the "Dreadhead Cowboy" is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning, more than a week after he was charged with felony animal cruelty for riding a horse down the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Adam Hollingsworth's attorney said he will be appearing at 9 a.m. at the Cook County Courthouse in Chicago for a preliminary hearing. His attorney Jonathan Feldman said he and Hollingsworth would be available following the court appearance to make a statement and possibly answer questions.
Hollingsworth was charged last week with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a class 4 felony, according to a statement from Illinois State Police. If convicted, he faces between one and six years in prison on the charge. In a bond hearing last Wednesday, a judge ordered him held on a $25,000 bond, which he met for his release.
Authorities had previously said he was charged with misdemeanors including reckless conduct, disobeying a police officer, criminal trespass to state-supported property, obstruction of traffic, and operating a non-highway-vehicle on a highway in connection with the incident on Sept. 21.
Officials say Hollingsworth rode his horse onto the Dan Ryan Expressway just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 21, conducting a Facebook Live broadcast while on the highway, shouting “kids lives matter” as he rode the horse along the expressway. He was flanked by numerous motorcycles and other vehicles, and traffic was backed up as a result of the incident.
Eventually he exited the highway at 95th Street, and he was taken into custody.
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The horse suffered a bloody wound on one of its hooves and appeared to have sores on its sides from the saddled, officials said. It placed in the custody of Chicago Animal Care and Control.
Prosecutors on Wednesday said the horse, later transferred to the care of a stable, is in critical condition and may have to be euthanized as a result of its injuries.
During Hollingsworth’s court appearance, prosecutors cited a veterinarian who testified that the damage the horse’s body sustained from the ride is equivalent to what would happen if an 80-year-old were forced to run a full marathon.
