A horse-drawn carriage will take pony-mad Katie Cook to Hastings Cemetery for this morning's service.

Katie was a keen member of Ellenwhorne Equestrian Centre at Staplecross and spent most Saturdays riding there.

She was trying out a brand new mountain bike at Bewl Water when she fell off and suffered fatal internal injuries almost two weeks ago.

With her were mum Diane, 37, dad Jim, 35, and brothers Michael, 13, and Matthew, seven.

"We'd just bought the bike the day before for her," said Diane, of Chiltern Drive, Hastings. "She was made up with it.

"She swerved to miss a holly leaf because she thought it might puncture her tyre and she went over the handlebars. "She got up straight away and started crying and we thought she had just winded herself, but then she said she felt sick and wanted to go home."

Her only visible injuries were a red bruise mark on her stomach and a graze on her elbow.

"She said her chest hurt and she started to feel dizzy then fell to the ground," said Diane.

The family ran to call for help at a nearby house with Jim carrying his daughter, as she began to drift in and out of consciousness.

She was taken to the Kent and Sussex Hospital at Tunbridge Wells, but shockingly died shortly after her arrival.

A post mortem revealed the youngster had ruptured her liver which caused massive internal bleeding. Sussex Police are carrying out tests on the bike to check whether there were any faults with it and an inquest will be held at a later date.

Animal lover Katie had been riding a particular pony, Sugar, for nearly a year on loan at Ellenwhorne and also had a dog, several rabbits and a hamster.

"She lived for her horses," said Diane. "She went every Saturday morning and wanted to own her own equestrian centre when she grew up."

Said Jim: "The riding instructor said Katie was a natural rider."

Diane has compiled a disc of Katie's favourite music to be played during today's service and friends and family will be wearing her favourite colours - lilac and pink.