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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 5,295,484. 85 in 2003 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 16,054,508,in 10 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.
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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
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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 K.Shs. 120,000??
All the sponsorship money is passed
directly across to the Rhino Ark. For every K.Shs.
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
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We
at Rob’s Magic organize a charity event
known as Quattro Charge which is a 4X4 fun event.
This is our 9th Quattro Charge, 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.
Please find attached
the Map for the Quattro Charge venue which is
scheduled for the 12th November 2006 starting
at 10.00 a.m. at the East African Portland Cement
Quarry Athi River. Entrance charges at 350/-for
Adults and 200/- for Children.
Thank you one and all
ROB COLLINGE
ORGANIZER QUATTRO CHARGE.
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Copyright
Rhino Ark Charitable Trust
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