Cowboy on Horse Jams Traffic on Chicago Expressway

From the something-you-don’t-see-everyday file:  Traffic on Chicago’s Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94) came to a virtual standstill, Monday afternoon, when a cowboy on horseback decided to take a ride down the middle of the busy roadway.

The Illinois State Police switchboard lit up, at about 4:30 p.m., as drivers called to report the “fish-out-of-water,” authorities say.

When officers arrived, they found the cowboy and his horse trotting south on the expressway, at about 15 miles per hour, as hundreds of cars drove slowly behind them, police say.  Several motorcyclists surrounded the horse and rider, for protection.

The rider was Adams Hollingsworth, a local man who’s gained notoriety as the “Dredhead Cowboy.”

The stunt was an attempt to draw attention to a charity endeavor called “Kids Lives Matter,” which aims to raise money for youth programs in low-income areas, regardless of the color of their skin.

“Until we understand kids’ lives matter, nothing else matters,” Hollingsworth says.

Blocking traffic mattered enough to get Hollingsworth arrested and charged with reckless conduct, disobeying a police officer and criminal trespass, police say.