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For Immediate Release

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Jenifer O'Brien
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Glenn Campbell
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U.S. TEAM CHOSEN FOR 1996 CAMEL TROPHY ADVENTURE

SEVILLE, Spain (March 1) - After a week of intense mental, physical and emotional trials here, two young Americans have been named to the 1996 U.S. Camel Trophy team. Ken Cameron, 26, from Eagle, Colo., and Fred Hoess, 29, of Stanhope, N.J., will now have less than a month to prepare themselves for the adventure of a lifetime. On April 1, they will join nineteen other two-person teams from around the world in driving Land Rover Discoverys on the first-ever east-west vehicle crossing of the Indonesian province of Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo.

"The International Selections have been exciting and exhausting at the same time," said Cameron, a carpenter whose months of exhaustive training for Camel Trophy included the creation of an orienteering course in his backyard. lt's a great feeling to be able to work as a team with people from so many different countries," he continued, "and I'm looking forward to the challenges that Kalimantan will hold."

Hoess, a champion motorcycle racer, who has spent the last few months practicing his four-wheel drive skills, echoed his partner's thoughts, saying, "Camel Trophy is an incredibly unique event. We've put in a lot of hard work and long hours, but we've made a lot of friends and had fun at the same time. I think we are well prepared for the event itself."

Four candidates from each of 20 nations came here this week to vie for the chance to represent their respective homelands in the "Olympics of Four-Wheel Drive." Working in groups that ranged in size from two to eighty members and communicating across as many as fifteen language barriers, the competitors were trained and assessed over five non-stop days and nights by Land Rover off-road driving instructors and former Camel Trophy participants.

Sleeping only three to four hours a night and living out of their Land Rover Discoverys, the candidates were running, driving, winching and navigating around the clock. Severe rains in December and January created a layer of knee deep mud on the Andalucian Hills outside of Seville that challenged even the most highly skilled off-road drivers.

Cameron and Hoess narrowly edged out Jeff Brandner, 31, of Chester, N.J., while the fourth U.S. candidate, Greg Oberst, 36 of Seal Beach, Calif., dropped out of the competition early in the week, after realizing he could not bear to be parted from his newborn daughter.

Participating journalist Lou Sapienza of Red Bank, N.J., stepped in to fill Oberst's place during the team trials. He also will travel with the team as a member of the convoy in Kalimantan.

LAND ROVER TROPHY NEW FOR KALIMANTAN

The event winners in April will be the pair with the best combination of attitude and ability. A Special Tasks Award will be given to the team with the highest empirical score in a series of competitive challenges, while a Team Spirit Award will go to the pair judged by their fellow participants to have the best blend of camaraderie and capability. And a new award has been announced this year - the Land Rover Award. This trophy will be presented to the team that demonstrates outstanding four-wheel drive skills based on proper technical expertise and attention to personal and vehicle safety. The Camel Trophy itself will be awarded to the team with the highest overall scores.

The twenty teams will begin the next phase of their adventures in Balikpapan, Indonesia, where they will start their three-week trek to Pontianak, 1100 miles to the west. Participating in this year's event are: Belgium, the Canary Islands, the Czech Republic, Finland/Sweden, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Norway/Denmark, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Camel Trophy is sponsored by Worldwide Brands, Inc., marketer of Camel Trophy adventure gear and clothing and by Land Rover, manufacturer of premium British-built four-wheel drive vehicles. Additional U.S. team support is provided by Coleman, Inc.

The event is open to women as well as men. Persons who would like an application for the 1997 Adventure can write Tom Collins, U.S. Camel Trophy Coordinator, at: P.O. Box 857, Snowmass, CO 81654.