Following nearly three decades with the Singapore Prison Service, Elsa Soo launched Starrelito K9 Training to teach agility despite a persistent knee injury. Because she cannot sprint, she trained her border collie Venus to navigate obstacle courses independently using precise verbal directions from the center of the ring. This handling system propelled the pair to a fifth-place finish at the FCI Agility World Championship 2026 in Finland.
Key points
Distance handling and specialized verbal commands allow trainers with mobility limitation…: Distance handling and specialized verbal commands allow trainers with mobility limitations to successfully navigate complex canine agility courses.
Decades of professional working-dog experience provided the foundation for Elsa Soo to es…: Decades of professional working-dog experience provided the foundation for Elsa Soo to establish her private training venture, Starrelito K9 Training.
Venus may retire from international competition within a year, depending on her ongoing h…: Venus may retire from international competition within a year, depending on her ongoing health status after multiple overseas tournament appearances.
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So much of the news is about what’s happening in the moment. But after a major event, people pick up the pieces and life goes on. In this series, The Straits Times talks to the everyday heroes who have reinvented themselves, turned their lives around and serve as an inspiration to us all.
- Elsa Soo, a former prison officer, left the Singapore Prison Service to follow dog agility after a knee injury stopped her running fast.
- She trained Border Collies Sirius and Venus, built Starrelito K9 Training, and won results overseas, including 15th in the Netherlands and ninth at the European Open in 2025.
- Soo and Venus placed fifth at the FCI Agility World Championship 2026 in Finland, and Venus may retire after one more year if her health allows.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – It is not just the dog that has to be fast in canine agility competitions. The handler has to sprint along, too, to guide the animal through the timed obstacle course.
But for Elsa Soo, a longstanding knee injury meant that when it…
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