Every year, a bunch of the most adventurous get together in Kenya to do the Rhino Charge. A 4x4 charity event run by Rhino Ark (www.rhinoark.org). The fund is used to build a fence around the Aberdare's mountains, to keep the animals in and poachers out. See website for full details.
>
> The UK Rhino Charge is held every year and proceeds collected, go directly towards the Rhino Ark fund. This years event will take place on the 21st of September at Pippingford Park in Sussex. Just east from Gatwick.
>
> Our team, Bushboys, will entering a 2 car team. Each car is required to raise £100 to cover the entry and a further £400 minimum sponsorship.
>
> This is a request for Sponsorship. As our sponsors, company logo will be printed on team shirts, stickers on the 2 cars and any banners will be placed at the start area. Stickers will remain on the cars as we tackle our monthly 4x4 trials and challenges.
>
> Last year, we managed a commendable 2nd place and won the spirit of the event trophy which we also won back in 2004. We also raised the 2nd highest amount of sponsorship, some £900
>
>
> The Kenyan Charge;
>
> 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.
>
> The UK Rhino Charge
>
> 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.