Land Use: The Criban Welsh Mountain Pony Stud

This world famous stud was founded by Howell Richards of Abercriban in 1910 and was taken over by his son Llewellyn in 1939. Welsh mountain ponies had been very popular for work in the coal mines of South Wales, but with a decline in demand and mechanisation they were no longer needed. Llewellyn set out to breed an ideal riding pony with great success winning many prestigious awards eventually exporting ponies across the world as far afield as Australia. In 1959 these ponies appeared in the film Tiger Bay with John and Haley Mills. Criban Mog was famously presented to the king of Nepal by Queen Elizabeth in 1961. Further recognition came in 1978 when Criban Victor featured on a postage stamp. Llewellyn died in 1982 but the stud continues to prosper in 2020 run by his grand daughter Sarah.