Student rides horse to school to protest gas prices

ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. - While most Rockwood high schoolers start up their engines on the way home from class Tuesday, one senior is mounting up and riding high above his peers.

"I think it's crazy," sophomore Kayla Evans said.

Brad Walker's ride gobbles up grass but doesn't cost him a dime in gas.

"Nobody should have to pay what they say is going to be $5 a gallon for gas," he said. "I don't think anybody should have to pay that."

After school Tuesday, Walker trotted out the courtyard at Rockwood High School and got on his horse, Pumpkin. After seeing gas prices jump more 11 cents in a matter of hours, Walker decided something needed to be done.

"He's a pretty cool guy. He does what he wants, pretty much," Simon Moriarty, another student said.

So, with the principal's permission, Walker did just what came to mind. He rode his horse to school. During the day, Pumpkin stays tied up inside a corral, complete with a bucket of feed and a 5-gallon pail of water.

On the way to and from school, Pumpkin wears a sign that says "Solution to Higher Gas Prices".

"A lot of people are afraid to say how they really feel. I really don't care," Walker said. "It just tells people how I feel about the gas prices."

It's about a 45-minute ride for Walker, 4 miles home. He can make the trip for little more than a dollar a day.

The only problem is the legality of emissions. Horse droppings are considered litter.

"But if you go back and clean it up, it's ok," Walker said.

Sadly for Walker, this ride could soon be coming to an end. There just isn't enough stable space at Rockwood High School.

"I can't leave him here anymore, because everybody is pestering him, and everybody else is wanting to do it, and they don't have enough room for them to ride horses to school," he said.

But, he's trying to find Pumpkin a permanent parking spot. He says he'll keep turning heads and pocketing his gas money as long as he can. But the school year ends this week.

"They know you're going to buy that gas, so it's just going to keep going up," Walker said.