‘Dread Head Cowboy’ says he sold his horses, fires attorney in animal cruelty case

Adam Hollingsworth, otherwise known as “The Dread Head Cowboy,” argues with his former defense attorney Jonathan Feldman after a brief hearing Wednesday morning at the Circuit Court of Cook County at 727 E. 111th St. on the Far South Side. Hollingsworth has been charged with a felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for riding a horse on the Dan Ryan Expressway as a form of protest against kids getting shot in Chicago. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

The “Dread Head Cowboy” announced he sold his horses and fired his lawyer after the two got into argument following a status hearing in his animal cruelty case at a Far South Side courthouse Wednesday.

“It’s is my life. It’s my horse. It’s my future,” an emotional Adam Hollingsworth, 33, said after telling reporters his “hand was forced” to sell four of his remaining horses and that he no longer wanted attorney Jonathan Feldman to represent him.

“If I have to represent myself, I’ll represent myself.”

Hollingsworth is facing a felony count of animal cruelty and several misdemeanors for riding NuNu, a pinto-colored mare, for seven miles in the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway on Sept. 21 to protest against children getting shot in Chicago.

At Hollingsworth’s bond hearing last month, Cook County prosecutors said NuNu will never ride again and may need to be euthanized. Since then, Hollingsworth’s “beloved horse” has been doing “extremely well,” Feldman has said.

But Hollingsworth Wednesday claimed that Feldman didn’t push hard enough for the judge to grant him permission to visit NuNu at the Tinley Park farm where she is receiving veterinary care. Hollingsworth said he hasn’t seen the horse since his “Kids Lives Matter” expressway protest.

“I don’t know anything about [NuNu],” he said. “My horse could’ve gotten hurt while in the care of this farm. I don’t know nothing.”

After Feldman and Hollingsworth argued outside, they went back inside the courthouse, at 727 E. 111th St. A short time later, they walked out and Feldman stormed off without saying anything to Hollingsworth or the media.

“He’s not representing me like he’s supposed to,” Hollingsworth, who was wearing his trademark cowboy boots, said. “I don’t care if it’s free or not. You’re gonna represent me like you’re getting paid a million dollars just to represent me.”

Feldman, who spoke to reporters before Wednesday’s hearing, refused comment later on whether he was still Hollingsworth’s attorney.

Adam Hollingsworth, otherwise known as “The Dread Head Cowboy,” tells reporters that he fired his former defense attorney Jonathan Feldman after a brief hearing Wednesday at the Circuit Court of Cook County at 727 E. 111th St. on the Far South Side. Hollingsworth has been charged with a felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for riding a horse on the Dan Ryan Expressway as a form of protest against kids getting shot in Chicago.

Hollingsworth said the owners of the Will County farm that previously housed all five of his horses, including NuNu, pressured him to relocate his animals after they were getting “calls and threats” from animal rights’ activists.

While he sold his remaining four horses for “hundreds” in different private sales across the state, Hollingsworth pledged the situation was “temporary” and that he would get all of the horses back “eventually.”

“I’m depressed. I’m hurt. I’m back at square one,” he said. “My horses are my friends and family.”

Adam Hollingsworth, otherwise known as “The Dread Head Cowboy,” argues with his former defense attorney Jonathan Feldman after a brief hearing Wednesday morning at the Circuit Court of Cook County at 727 E. 111th St. on the Far South Side. Hollingsworth has been charged with a felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for riding a horse on the Dan Ryan Expressway as a form of protest against kids getting shot in Chicago.

Adam Hollingsworth, otherwise known as “The Dread Head Cowboy,” listens as defense attorney Jonathan Feldman speaks to reporters before a brief hearing Wednesday at the Circuit Court of Cook County at 727 E. 111th St. on the Far South Side. Hollingsworth — charged with a felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for riding a horse on the Dan Ryan Expressway as an anti-violence protest — would later fire Feldman and pledge he would represent himself in the case, if necessary.

Contributing: Matthew Hendrickson