MEET OUR PLAYERS
Tinicum Park Polo Club is proud to include the largest number of polo players in the Eastern Region of the USPA. Our club features a perfect blend of polo professionals and amateurs, male and female players, and multi-national representation from countries including Argentina, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Sweden, Australia, Mexico and of course all regions of the US.
The letters and numbers after the players’ names indicate their rating or handicap as determined annually by the United States Polo Association. Players begin with a C rating and then as they improve move up to B then to A then to a 1 and so on, with the highest rating being 10. There are very few polo players throughout the world with a rating of 10.
OUR TEAM
Hesham El-Gharby (1)
Polo instructor, trainer and manager of Tinicum Park Polo Club and Princeton University Polo Coach, Hesham’s polo experience began at 12 in his native Egypt. His early career included being on the Egyptian International Polo Team in 1976 and playing games that encompassed the globe, including Iran, Jordan, the Sudan and Germany.
Cheryl Arnold (A)
Cheryl has been an active member of Tinicum Park Polo since 1995 and continues to sit on the Board of Directors. She utilizes her knowledge of biomechanics to improve her performance on the field and maximize her therapy clients functional abilities while at work.
Leandro Berrios (3)
Leandro starting playing polo at 10 years old and by 17 held a 4 goal handicap. He has participated in many official tournaments includiing the Junior Open in Buenos Aires where he played with Novillo Astrada brothers, Bautista Heguy and Adolfo Cambiaso. Polo has taken Leandro around the world, including France, Holland and Venezuela.
Bob Brosious, Jr. (B)
Bob has been playing polo since 2001. He started riding at age 40 and playing arena polo weekly. He assists with the weekly operations of the club. Over the years, he has become quite proficient at designing and building custom mallets, and making both those and ground mallets keeps him quite busy.
Christine L. Cattani, Esq (B)
Christine’s lifelong love of horses began at age 6 with her first pony, Dolly. After years of hacking throughout the Buck County countryside and riding in local horse shows, Christine discovered the exciting and challenging game of polo. Now a self-described polo addict, Christine is thrilled to play with TPPC.
Jose Cervantes (B)
Originally from Mexico, Jose has been riding horses his whole life and has always had a passion for polo. He is excited to join Tinicum Park Polo this year in his 4th year of playing in both club matches and USPA tournaments. When not refining the skills of his amazing string of polo ponies or training new prospects, Jose is a professional full-service farrier and talented blacksmith
Talha R. Chaudhry (A)
Talha started riding in his native Pakistan in his younger days and participated in different equestrian sports. His love and passion for equestrian sports brought him to polo at Tinicum where he has been playing for the past several years. He is the Managing Director and Head of Training for a quantitative trading firm in New York City.
Tim Cheromcka (A)
Tim Returned to polo after an almost 20 year hiatus. He played at Valley Forge Military Academy in high school and at Colorado State University in college. He spent 8 eight years living in Thailand, running an electronics manufacturing company. Tim is married with two daughters.
Preeth "Pete" D’Costa (B)
Pete’s passion for horses and polo is comingled with his business and personal life. Owner of Freedom Farm in Kingwood, The National Hotel in Frenchtown, and American Spirits Roadhouse in Asbury, NJ, he continues to carve out time to pursue his passion for polo.
George Daniello (B)
After being sidelined with an injury, George is glad to be back. He’s looking forward to a fun, safe season with old friends and good horses.
Lisa Singer Fitzpatrick (B)
Lisa started riding at a very young age and has enjoyed many disciplines from jumpers, foxhunting and Ireland point-to-point to horse roundups and even sidesaddle. Playing polo is her current thrill, spurring travel with other Tinicum players to Argentina to train. She and her husband Paul live at their farm, True Luck Farm in Colts Neck, NJ.
Joseph Gantert (C)
Joseph is an equestrian, polo enthusiast , accomplished musician, author, full time real estate developer, and realtor. Along with assisting in many club tasks, he spends time volunteering in Project Hope and Trenton Soup Kitchen. He is always eager to meet new people, so say hello anytime.
Steven Garfield (1)
25+ year polo veteran, you will often find Steve playing position two. Steve shows a classic example of that position, with his aggressively offensive style, and has played in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. He is an artisan, crafting custom furniture.
Christoph Gerberding (A)
Christoph started playing polo in California. When he moved to the East Coast, he co-founded Colts Neck Polo Club in Colts Neck, NJ. He has also played in Argentina. Christoph lives on a polo farm near Milford, NJ. He currently serves as President of Tinicum Park Polo.
Al Gillen (B)
Al took up riding when his daughter outgrew the horses and passed them back to dad. After learning how to ride his new horse, Al graduated to hunter paces then on to playing polo. He plays on the field through the summer, and plays indoors with other Tinicum players during the winter months. He’s been known to ride a hunter pace in the morning on one horse, stop home and switch horses, then play polo later on the same day.
Carol A. Hails (B)
Carol says the Lord has blessed her with good horses, good friends and the honor/privilege to play the great sport of polo. She works as a staff RN in Interventional Radiology/GI Unit and specializes in PICC placements and takes “calls” which sadly limits her game and practice times. But when she’s available - GAME ON!
David Halliday (2)
Dave is a founding member of Tinicum Park Polo Club and achieved a two-goal polo handicap during the 30 years he has played polo. Dave lives on a horse farm near the polo club, trail rides with his family and picked the mallet back up after a few years off to play polo with his son, Owen. Dave is a real estate developer and owns Village Centre Properties.
Victoria Halliday (A)
Victoria is a founding member of Tinicum Park Polo Club and currently serves on the polo club board. She has always had horses in her life and enjoys riding and playing polo as a family pastime. She is a registered Landscape Architect and teaches in the Landscape Architecture/Environmental Design Department of Delaware Valley University.
Dr. Anders Hedberg (B)
Dr. Hedberg began riding and competing in dressage events in his native Sweden in the ’60s. He continued riding dressage when he moved to the US, but was bitten by the polo bug during a trip to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. Now retired from research, he works with educators to improve STEM education worldwide.
Gaston Henry (2)
Gaston has been playing polo since he was 7 years old and has been playing professionally most of his life. He has played at Hurlingham, Buenos Aires. He is known as a master of the mallet.
Gary Hulton (B)
This is Gary’s 5th season at Tinicum. Ever since taking riding lessons in the summer while in college, Gary has been a passionate horse lover and rider. After completing the French National Equitation exams, he began playing polo in Chantilly, France in 2006. He then moved to Argentina to work at Santa Catalina polo estancia, helped launch the International Polo Academy and was a managing partner in a new polo club in Cañuelas. Gary enjoys the challenges of polo, the camaraderie of the Tinicum polo club members and dreams of fielding his own polo team.
Jason Johns (B)
Jason grew up with horses on his family‘s cattle ranch in Western Montana but it wasn’t until he spent a semester abroad in Argentina that he became interested in polo. Jason moved to New Jersey in 2010 and began learning the sport at January Farm in 2012. We welcome Janson for his third season at Tiiniucm Park Polo.
Barclay Knapp (B)
Barclay is a long time telecom entrepreneur and a member of TPPC’s board.
He took up polo only two years ago, with no previous riding experience, and is now
completely "hooked." Barclay has worked hard and often with Hesham El Gharby and the club’s
other great members in the off-season to improve his riding and match skills, and is looking forward
to a great 25th Anniversary Season at Tinicum Park Polo Club.
Jim Koslovski (B)
Jim‘s desire to learn and play polo started much earlier in life but didn’t become a reality until after attending a couple of the Bonnie Brae Polo Classic events. He enjoys spending time learning and honing the skills needed to play and looks forward to playing in his 4th season at Tinicum. Jim and his wife Lori live in Hunterdon County.
John Kriege (A)
John is an accomplished horseman who has competed in jumping, cross country, and 3-day eventing as well as polo. He played on the USC polo team in LA. As a pediatric occupational therapist, he uses his ponies to work with disabled children. He lives with his wife and 3 daughters on a farm in Sussex County, NJ.
Kirstan Lamont (B)
Originally from New Zealand, Kirstan was bitten hard by the polo bug in 2013 while living in Australia. With no formal horse experience, Kirstan has largely been learning via polo-cations across 8 countries. Meeting new people and sharing experiences on and off the field are a focus in Kirstan’s 3rd season with TPPC.
Harry Landy (B)
Harry is 26 years old, from Monroe, NJ. Harry trains and drives standard-bred racehorses. Previously, he played polo at Meadowbrook Polo Club and Greenwich Polo Club.
Derek Lee, MD (B)
Derek began playing polo late in life and his dedication to the sport has only deepened over the years. He is also a member of Shannon Hills Polo Club. Derek looks forward to an exciting season.
Michael Leek (B)
Michael is on the field with TPPC this year for his first season after taking up riding in 2017 with Hesham El-Gharby. As a professional pilot, when not caring for and conditioning his ponies, Michael can be found flying private jets around the globe.
Rebecca Linke, VMD (B)
Dr. Linke, a Cornell graduate, is a veterinarian at Colts Neck Equine Associates and an avid polo player. Rebecca played arena polo while at Cornell. She played for Colts Neck Polo Club and trained in Argentina with other Tinicum members. This is her 5th season with TPPC. She lives in Farmingdale, NJ.
Adam Lipson (B)
This is Adam 5th year playing polo, and his first season playing at TPPC after previously riding with Meadowbrook Polo Club in Long Island. A neurosurgeon practicing in NJ & NY, his team rides under the banner of his practice, IGEA Brain & Spine. His wife Alexis rides hunters, and his new son Thomas was born in December. Thomas is excited to start playing polo with dad, just as soon as he can sit up!
Erica Lipton (B)
Erika Lipton spent her life fox hunting, trail riding, etc. She turned to polo in her late 50s, and plays in Palm Beach as well as at Tinicum. She has also taken lessons in Argentina.
Rhea Lowenthal (B)
Rhea has been riding horses since
the age of 5 and only took her first
polo lesson on her 27th birthday.
20 years later, she lives for the
Summer season at Tinicum. Rhea
works full-time at her family’s
business, Windmill Day School & Camp
In Doylestown, PA.
She also works as a costumer for
film & television projects in Atlanta,
New York & Philadelphia.
Jim McDevitt (A)
Jim has been playing polo since 1992, enjoying the friendly competition and camaraderie of club polo. Jim enjoys spending time with him wife and three children on their Hunterdon County farm. Jim also runs a software development, consulting and staffing company in South Plainfield, NJ.
Matthew Morgan (B)
Matthew only recently took up polo and was immediately hooked by the combined ‘3S’ challenges of strategy, skill and staying-on. Originally from England, the sport has now taken him to six countries, enabling him to meet a community of like-minded souls who have embraced both the sport and the camaraderie off the field. Matthew lives and works in Manhattan in his non-polo time.
Mark Mulligan (A)
Mark has been a member for over 10 years now – and one to watch for on the field. Mark has played in Florida and Argentina and his game makes Tinicum Park Polo exciting for spectators and challenging for club members. Mark lives in Frenchtown, NJ with his wife Kate and two daughters.
Ann Oniskey (B)
Ann saw her first polo match at Cornell University in 1981 and was instantly hooked. She started lessons in 1994, played at Bucks County for years, then went on to play in MD, NJ, FL and the Dominican Republic. You can count on her husband Len and daughter Taylor to be on the sidelines cheering her on.
Johanna Pedersen (B)
Johanna began riding when she was 6 years old. She spent her life as a hunter and jumper rider, and recently got bit by the polo bug. Johanna started playing polo in 2017 with Hesham El-Gharby and is on the field with TPPC for her second season. She works in marketing and brand management in the healthcare sector when she’s not playing polo.
Maximo Robledo Puch (2)
Maximo comes from an Argentine polo family and grew up on the family’s estancia “ El Calchaqui.” He has played in England and Spain
Dennis Santana (2)
Dennis has been with Tinicum Park Polo Club for 15 years, helping as an umpire and a professional player. He plays high goal polo at Sarasota Polo Club, FL, during the winter months. He came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. He trains polo ponies and gives lessons in his free time.
Youngki Shim (B)
This will be Young’s 4th season as a member of the TPPC. He says he has found an activity that reduces stress, provides a workout, and is fun all at the same time. Polo was never on his radar but the stars aligned and fate would have it that he found Tinicum. He feels luck to be part of the Tinicum Park Polo family.
Suzanne Spencer (B)
While on the field Sue enjoys refining her skills as well as those of her horses. As a nurse practitioner she takes great care of her patients.
Bill Thomas (A)
Bill, with great sportsmanship, good nature and a booming shot, is a pleasure to watch on the field. Better know as "The Hammer", you can find him always lending a hand to keep the club running well.
Tyler Vance (B)
Tyler grew up around horses and after his first polo lesson in 2010, he was instantly hooked. Tyler loves all the challenges this sport has to offer and is looking forward to another season of playing and watching polo at Tinicum Park.
Audrey Van Luvanee (A)
Audrey is always the first to the field and the last to leave, spending as much time as possible with her fine horses. This year she will be sure to continue to impress the specators with her competitive spirit.
Val Washington (A)
Val has always been fascinated with horses, but only started riding when she was in her 30’s. Making up for lost time, Val rides and plays every chance she gets. The highlight of her polo career was playing in Cairo, Egypt, with the pyramids as a backdrop.
Nick Wayland (1)
Originally from Australia, Nick grew up playing polo at the Australian polo capital, Windsor Polo Club, located outside Sydney. The club was founded by his father, John Wayland, who remains the field’s president today. Nick has been playing polo since he was 13, and represented Australia in New Zealand when he was only 15.
Rich Weidel (A)
Rich fell in love with his wife Sarah and polo at the same time: on the Cornell freshman polo team. Today Rich lives in NJ with his wife Sarah and his two sons, Rex & Evers. He is a passionate learner and is always reading. Rich loves playing polo, is a founding member of Ecclesia Church, and is a board member of Homefront. He is the CEO of Princeton Mortgage.
Sarah Weidel (B)
Sarah grew up near Cambridge, England where she competed in dressage, show jumping, and eventing from a young age. As an active Pony Club member, Sarah passed the highest level of achievement, the A Test. At Cornell University she played on the women’s polo team and became a polo convert. She shares two sons with Rich and four polo ponies (for now!)
John Colabelli
John is the publisher of Philadelphia Style Magazine. He joined Tinicum Park Polo in 2013 and hosts the annual Philadelphia Style Polo Cup. John returns to play again this year.