Sunday was a very sad day for the horse industry in Israel. On Sunday, Yochanon Merhav, one of the pioneers of Arabian horse breeding in Israel, and the founder of the "Golan Arabians" breeding program at Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan, met with what was surely an untimely death.
Yochanon was born in Poland and from there he brought his great love for Arabian horses to Israel. Most of you did not know Yochanon, but he was very much ahead of his time; he had this huge dream of breeding and raising Arabian horses here in Israel in the most professional manner possible, with absolutely no short cuts. Back in those days, his dream was truly visionary, and by single-mindedly bringing his dream to fruition, Yochanon opened the way for the Arabian horse breeding that is taking place in Israel today.
Yochanon's "Golan Arabians" was the leading horse farm in Israel for many years and served as a beacon to inspire others. His earliest foundation stock was based on Arabian horses that were imported here from overseas by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. Later on, imported stock and their descendants originating from sympathetic breeders in Europe in America were added to these.
Finally, in 1982, with backing from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan, Yochanon selected and imported the very first straight Egyptian Arabians to come to Israel, all of which originated in the U.S. This importation included the celebrated stallion Al Nahr Montego (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous x Bint Fada), one of the leading straight Egyptian Arabians in America at that time, with a brilliant record as a show horse and sire. By these actions Yochanon laid the cornerstone for the breeding of straight Egyptian Arabians in Israel.
Some years later, the closing of the farm at Sha'ar HaGolan as a result of economic considerations left a giant wound in Yochanon's heart, one that would never truly heal. In his pain, Yochanon chose to disconnect himself completely from the Arabian horse community.
All of us involved in the Arabian horse industry owe a tremendous debt to Yochanon, the man who dreamed what we do today.
May he be of blessed memory!
