The Rhino Charge is an off-road event in which competitors are required to visit 13 points scattered over approximately 100 square kms of rough terrain within a 10 hour period. Competitors are supplied with a 1:50,000 scale map of the venue, co-ordinates of the 13 Control Points and their Start position (at one of the Controls). Each competitor must plot the Control Points on the map and decide his/her route. Navigation is by compass/GPS and the winner is the competitor who visits all controls in the shortest distance (GPS measured).

The event is organised to raise funds for the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust. Competitors are required to raise the minimum sponsorship set by the organising committee. Most however raise considerably more - the record to date being Kshs 9,393,552 in 2008 from Car No. 5 Alan McKittrick, Bruce Knight, Charlie Hewitt-Stubbs, John Trundell, S. McKittrick, winners of the prestigious David Schaeffer Trophy. Long-time supporters such as Mike and Sarah Higgins have raised a total of Kshs 39,604,399 over the last 20 years.

To negate environmental damage entries to the Charge are limited to between 55-60 vehicles. The popularity of the charge is such that the organisers have been forced to adopt a preferential entry strategy favoring high value fund raisers because would-be entrants far exceed available places in the event.

The UK Rhino Charge has been going since 1997 with a year off during the Foot and Mouth Epidemic so this year’s event will be the 10th. Because of environmental constraints and the choice of 4x4 events in the UK the event is neither as big nor as arduous as its’ big brother in Kenya but it does allow all types of 4x4 and entrants from enthusiastic novices to hardened experts to enjoy a very different type of day out in the country.

Part navigation and 4x4 orienteering, part 4x4 trial and part command task exercise, this unique medley of any event has something for everyone, with harder, optional Tiger Lines thrown in if you don’t mind a few dents and scratches on your vehicle. Because of the varied tasks and sections the UK Rhino Charge has been won by vehicles as big as a Land Rover 110 and as small as a Yamaha Rhino ATV. Teams can be made up of 2 to 6 people so long as the vehicle can accommodate them, teamwork can be as important and off-road ability and common sense more valuable than horsepower!

The venue in the UK is not kept secret like the Kenyan one and has been Pippingford Park in East Sussex since 2001 – see www.pippingford.co.uk. On the edge of the Ashdown Forest this 1,500 acre estate adjoins the Crowborough Ranges and has 300 or more deer roaming wild amongst the magnificent beech woods, ancient hammer ponds and open heather. The UK Rhino Charge is the only competitive off-road event held on the estate and gives a unique chance for entrants to enjoy driving around this superb site.

The competitive side of the UKRC is handled by Brian Hartley of Club Off Road and his band of trusty and smiling marshals, aka The Red Coats. Every year they manage to come up with different routes and tasks to test and confound the competitors and the event would not be the same without them. Help, instruction and the occasional recovery are all available for novices but experts should expect a lot of leg pulling if they need assistance!

Catering is provided on site and a barbeque is organised to refuel the competitors, their supporters and the marshals after the event while scores are added up and everyone awaits the prize-giving.

Should you fancy doing the UKRC but not possess a vehicle loan cars are sometimes available.

For further help please look at the entry forms or feel free to email the organisers

Started in 1999, the Hog Charge was Kenya’s first national mountain bike competition. It is charity event that raises money to help the Rhino Ark in their work, fencing the Aberdare National Park.

Teams consist of four riders and may enter in the Under 14s, Under 16s or Open age group categories and as all male, all female or mixed teams.

Teams must raise a minimum of K.Shs. 16,000 in sponsorship but many raise much more. Last year, a team from Pembroke House raised a magnificent total of Ksh. 120,000.

All the sponsorship money is passed directly across to the Rhino Ark. For every Ksh. 2,000 raised, teams will be given a ticket in the Rhino Charge Raffle where they will have a chance of winning some of the hundreds of fantastic prices – several international air tickets have been won by Hog Charge competitors.

On the day of the event, teams have 3½ hours to navigate to all the checkpoints on the course in the order and via the route, of their choice. Teams are timed between checkpoints. The shortest total time taken between all checkpoints is the winning time.

Trophies are awarded to teams raising the most money and to the fastest teams in each age group and gender category.

Who organizes it?

The event is the brainchild of Mark Tilbury, who drives car number 35 - ‘The Hog Charge Car’ – in the annual Rhino Charge.

The event is hosted and organised by Peponi School and the main sponsor is Brookside Dairy Ltd. Ten other sponsors operate checkpoints where drinks and snacks are available for the competitors.

All marshals, officials and sponsors give freely of their time and no operating expenses are taken from the sponsorship raised.

What do I do next?

If you would like to take part in the next Hog Charge, contact Julian Pallister at the address below and request an entry pack.

The Hog Charge.
Peponi School.
P.O. Box 236, Ruiru 00232.
E-mail: hogcharge@peponischool.org
Tel: 067 54630, 0733 615193, 0722 287248, 020 6751206

We at Rob’s Magic organize a charity event known as Quattro Charge which is a 4X4 fun event. This is usually a bi annual event where we raise funds for the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust who work continuously to get the fencing of the Aberdare Forest completed.

We join the Rhino Charge arguably, as the most extreme of 4X4 motor sports event, to organize a challenging fun day for sponsors, spectators and competitors to enjoy this event, within easy reach from the city if Nairobi.

We are grateful to the East African Portland Cement Company at Athi River who allow us to tear up one of their many quarries for the event, using dry river beds, swamps, large deep dams, sheer climbs etc, all set to challenge the most courageous drivers and excite the crowds. All proceeds from the event go to the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust. To date the Quattro Charge has raised 8,665,000 Million.

The event organizers have endeavoured to make the Quattro Charge a great outing with excellent catering and full bar facilities, children’s bouncing castle, face painting etc.

We are most grateful to the many sponsors who, time and again stick with us in our endeavour, also the organizing committee who give us their valuable time and above all to spectators who without them this event would not be a success.

Thank you one and all

ROB COLLINGE
ORGANIZER QUATTRO CHARGE.