After 27 years, the Indian Charlie newsletter is out of business – Horse Racing Nation

Itwas always irreverent, often controversial and fiercely independent. As of thisweek, Indian Charlie is no more.

Thesardonic newsletter that Ed Musselman distributed free of charge for nearly 27years, first on racetrack backstretches in Kentucky and more recently throughdigital media, was posted for the last time Monday, according to its leadstory. (See the final issue here.)

Notbeing able to interact directly with horsemen and women at both racetracks andat horse sales due to the coronavirus took away any advantage we had to reporton issues and stories not otherwise covered in mainstream Thoroughbred racingpublications, the story said.

Withoutgetting into specifics, the note to readers mentioned some mistakes wemade last year that also entered into this decision, that Indian Charliewas a bit of a rerun in 2020 and that, in some ways, the game has passed usby.

Musselmanturned down a request from HRN for an interview Monday.

Inits familiar legal-sized format, but without the usual back page full ofadvertisements, Mondays edition was the first in two months, although aThanksgiving-to-New Years Day break has been the norm for years.

Withits slogan we never let the truth get in the way of a good story, IndianCharlie was equal parts TMZ and The Onion. Its biting, anti-establishmentattitude made it popular with many backside denizens. But it also was polarizing.

Itsstaunchest supporters praised its no-boundaries, take-no-prisoners style, whileits loudest critics said Indian Charlie was too often racist and sexist.Churchill Downs, Keeneland and racetracks run by the New York RacingAssociation and The Stronach Group took turns banning it when their executives believedits content was too politically incorrect.

Aflashpoint came in 2014, when Louisville Metro police were called to investigatethe report of a fistfight at Churchill Downs between Musselman and one of thenewsletters frequent targets, trainer Dale Romans. Yes, it was over somethingthat Muggins wrote.

IndianCharliewent down swinging Monday, saying the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act bringshope that it will be the answer (to) suspect governing bodies like theKentucky Horse Racing Commission and the New York State Racing and WageringBoard calling balls and strikes in our sport.

Thelast of its trademark caricatures, always with an accurately depicted face,lampooned horse owner Don Gamble, perhaps making him the answer to a triviaquestion about the history of Indian Charlie.

Therewas also a serious editorial calling into question the absence of trainers DavidWhiteley, Richard Hazleton and Dickie Small; jockeys Larry Snyder and JohnLively; and horses Nodouble and Broad Brush from the National Racing Museum andHall of Fame.

TheLast Word took a swipe at animal-rights activists while being 100 percent allin for the federal intervention and tightening of all approved medications exceptLasix.

Musselmandid not go into detail about plans for his future. Instead, it was left tothe newsletter to say whatever direction we go in, any new pursuits going forward,will be announced first on this website.

IndianCharliearchives will remain available at IndianCharlie.com.

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After 27 years, the Indian Charlie newsletter is out of business - Horse Racing Nation