What is the meaning of Rhino Charge?

What is the meaning of Rhino Charge? The Rhino Charge is a fantastic annual off-road contests held in Kenya in which participants must travel the shortest distance possible across difficult, trackless terrain to a number of checkpoints known as Guard Posts, with speed being penalised. The purpose of the event is to raise funds for the charitable trust Rhino Ark’s operations.

Kenya is known globally as a world class safari tour destination and in order to earn money for the construction of the electric fence around Aberdare National Park, the event’s concept first emerged in 1989.Along with rally fans Rob Combes and Brian Haworth, Rhino Ark founder Ken Kuhle proposed holding an off-road race to raise money for the fencing project being carried out by the Charitable Trust Rhino Ark, which was just established. The Trust was committed to maintaining the dwindling rhino population in the Aberdare National Park and lowering wildlife-human conflicts in the region. Travers Allison, who was driving a Suzuki jeep, won the first competition, which took place on February 4^th, 1989. There were 31 other cars in the field. Despite the fact that the inaugural Rhino Charge only raised KES 250,000, it has substantially increased over time and, by the 2013 event, had exceeded KES 90 million.

The idea for the Rhino Charge first came to Rhino Ark founder Ken Kuhle in Nairobi, Kenya, when he urged rally enthusiast Rob Coombes to put together a motorsport event to generate money for the recently established Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust. Controlling the decreasing rhino population in the Aberdare National Park was a top concern for the trust.

The plan was to hold an off-road competition, with the victor getting to drive their vehicle to Mount Kenya’s highest point. When Rob originally mentioned the concept to Brian Haworth, Brian was excited and offered to assist Rob in organising it. After presentations to the Kenya Wildlife Service revealed that approval to hold the event atop Mount Kenya would not be acquired, the concept was revised. Brian had previously scouted a route within Mount Longonot to conduct an off-road competition at the request of Derek Gates who was the Safari Rally’s promoter.They decided to hold a smaller ceremony at Hell’s Gate National Park in its place, therefore it was never held. The Rhino Charge was Brian’s invention, based on the idea that distance should be the deciding factor rather than speed.

Based on their prior experience and extensive deliberation, Rob and Brian decided to undertake a competition to drive over Mount Suswa in the Rift Valley. The winner would be the one who finished the course in the shortest period of time. Two controls would be placed on either side of the volcano. On a Sunday morning in the beginning of 1989, the two departed on motorcycles in quest of Mount Suswa’s southern slopes. After a strenuous day spent largely “carrying” bikes, they realised their strategy wasn’t going to work and, with Mount Suswa still only halfway up, they had to head back to base. They sat and looked out over the Suswa plains, Lake Magadi in the distance, a few small hills, and numerous huge luggas.

Why not put controls at the top of each hill and the escarpment’s base? The competitors would have to cross the dry river banks to reach the slopes. The next weekend, they spent two days riding and driving throughout the region with their families, camping gear, and motorcycles, preparing the spot that would later host the first-ever Rhino Charge. On February 4, 1989, Travers Allison, operating a Suzuki Jeep, won the race against 31 other vehicles. The car’s standard odometer was utilised to determine distance.

It’s likely that these early settlers were unaware of the huge attention that this little event would bring in in the years to come. The Rhino Charge is a one-day off-road race in which up to 65 competitors must halt at 13 control points over a tough 100 square km route over the course of ten hours. Each participating team is given a map of the area at a scale of 1:50,000 along with the GPS coordinates for the 13 control stations, and they then decide which route to take. The winner is the competitor who covers the shortest route (as measured by a GPS) between his starting place and the control station where he left off.

How the event is organised

The Rhino Charge is organized by a committee of skilled volunteers from several professions. Each member of this devoted team gives their time, expertise, and resources to ensure that the event is well-attended and of the greatest calibre. The venue for the event changes every year and is usually found in one of Kenya’s wildest and most remote areas. The first phase in planning is picking a good venue, which is followed by discussions with neighbours and the actual organisation of the event. Each tournament venue is developed with the full participation of members of the local community and with an understanding of regional factors. During the drawn-out process, which lasts for many months, the Rhino Charge Team contributes their time and commitment to embark on scouting missions for the following event.

The annual celebration, which is free to attend as long as you follow the guidelines set forth by the organising committee, takes place around Kenya’s Madaraka Day. The Committee keeps the site of the event a secret until the day of the event, which deters individuals from trying to peek there beforehand thanks to the location’s exclusivity.

The event is organised by the Kenya Wildlife Service, the local District Commissioner, the Governing Body of Motorsport in Kenya, and the landowners that make up the host community.

The Entrance fee

The following admission costs must be paid, and all vehicles entering the area must have four-wheel drive; Kenya shillings ten thousand for automobiles with fewer than six seats. 20,000 Kenyan Shillings for automobiles with six to twelve seats, and 30,000 Kenya shillings for those with thirteen or more seats

The audience must bring their own food and camping equipment, whether they are attending on their own or with the assistance of a camp operator.

In an effort to safeguard the ecosystem as well as the challenging terrain to be traversed, the organisers limit the field of competitors at 65 vehicles. Entries are accepted in the following categories up until the cap is met, strictly following the principle of First Come, First Served.

Automatic entry is offered to all entrants from the previous Rhino Charge that raised more than KES 2 million shillings; acceptance must be confirmed before the beginning of July each year.

Participants must donate at least 1.5 million Kenyan shillings between July 1 and July 31.
To be eligible, participants must pledge at least 1.25 million shillings between August 1 and August 30.
Between September 2 and September 30, applicants who pledge a minimum of 1 million Kenya shillings are eligible to apply; thereafter on October 1, 2013, participants must pledge a minimum of 750,000 Kenya shillings.
Any participants who signed up in the aforementioned categories but did not get the promised sponsorship may be disqualified from competing and may also be refused entry to subsequent events.