The 'heartbroken' family of 16-year-old Worcestershire student Fraya Stokes, who died in a car crash in Kingswinford, have paid tribute to her, hailing her as an "inspiration."
Dad David Stokes described her as the "apple of my eye".
He said: "She wasn't just my daughter, she was my best friend. We were like Bonnie and Clyde.
"She was Daddy's little girl.
"She was a free spirit. She did what she wanted and was very strong-willed. I think she got that from me."
Fraya was a passenger in a Peugeot involved in a single-vehicle crash on Kidderminster Road in Ashwood at around 11.10pm on Thursday, October 15. She died shortly afterwards on Friday, October 16.
A member of the British Showjumping Society, Fraya was a seasoned showjumper and became renowned in the local equestrian community for her ability to break in even the biggest and most powerful horses despite her small stature.
"She was fearless," added Mr Stokes.
"She would take on anything, take on any horse. She could take on a horse that had never been ridden before and make it look like it had been ridden for 10 years."
Fraya was taught to ride by her aunt, Rebecca, and from there could regularly be seen riding her horse from Norton, where her father's horses are kept, to Kinver alongside her younger sister, Olivia.
Fraya was from Kidderminster and was a pupil at King Charles I School.
She recently began attending Kidderminster College from September.
Her grandmother, Adriana Stokes, also paid tribute to her beloved granddaughter.
"She was just so kind and sweet, and she'd do anything for anyone.
"Fraya was a bright light in our family. She was so close to her dad.
"She had an infectious laugh and a love for music and her horses," added Mrs Stokes.
"She was kind-hearted and leaves behind a family that loved her beyond measure.
"We are all just heartbroken."
Her younger sister, Olivia, described Freya as her "best pal".
The pair regularly attended showjumping events together, including competitions at Stourport and the Three Counties Show.
"She was born into it when it comes to horses," said her father, who has kept them all his life, and keeps them in a horse field off Sandy Lane in Stourbridge.
Both her fearless nature in the riding arena and her caring personality epitomised her character as a "strong-willed, kind-hearted soul who will be missed by all the family", added her grandmother.
David promised his daughter that he would continue to care for her favourite horse, Gucci.
"Your dad promises to keep Gucci. I will always take care of her, so don't you worry.
"You were Dad's best mate," added her grieving father.
Staffordshire Police said a 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening. He was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said: “We are appealing for anyone with doorbell, dashcam or CCTV footage of the area at the time to contact us.
“Call 101, quoting incident 957 of 15 October, or use Live Chat on our website.
“To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“You can also get in touch with collision investigators directly by emailing ciu@staffordshire.police.uk.”
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