The Little Wins: What a Tough Weekend Taught Me About Appreciation in This Game

Hello retriever enthusiasts,

This past weekend was one of those that reminds you why we do this.

We started on Friday with a Qualifying stake and went out in the first series on a triple with a middle retired punch bird. Nothing dramatic — just a clean learning experience. Then on Saturday we stepped up to a 68-dog Amateur. When I looked at the setup, I honestly thought we were well outside our skill set. The marks looked big, the water looked intimidating, and the whole thing felt like a reach.

We ran it anyway.

Apollo surprised me. He nailed the flyer, took water that many other dogs avoided, and powered through. He had two big hunts on the middle and left birds but found them both. I was genuinely proud of him. I didn’t think we’d be back for the second series, but he had just run his first All-Age series and found all three birds.

As we sat in the hotel room that evening, my phone buzzed with a text from a friend: “Better get him 2 cheeseburgers.” We’d been called back.

Mind-blowing.

The next series was a land blind. He took the water confidently, but got caught up behind some phragmites and we didn’t finish the way we wanted.

We ran test dog for the final water series. We wouldn’t have done well anyway, but it showed us important things we need to work on — water confidence, long swims, and long retired guns. Every opportunity to learn something is important.

Apollo proved me wrong. He works so hard for me, and that’s all we can really ask for.

The Importance of the Little Wins

In this game, you’re lucky to make it through the first series on any given weekend. Some of the best dogs in the country didn’t make it through the first series this weekend — and that’s not a knock on them. That’s just the nature of the game we play. The margins are razor thin. Conditions, luck, setup, and timing all play a role.

That’s why it’s so important to celebrate the little wins.

•  Making it back to the second series when you didn’t expect to.

•  A dog taking water that looked intimidating to everyone else.

•  Finding birds after big hunts instead of giving up.

•  Finishing an All-Age stake for the first time — that will be our next goal.

These moments matter. They build confidence in both dog and handler. They remind us that progress isn’t always about titles or placements — sometimes it’s about showing up, trying something harder than you’ve done before, and seeing your dog rise to the occasion.

Apollo reminded me this weekend that I shouldn’t sell him short. He works hard, he tries his heart out, and even when we don’t finish the way we want, there’s still a lot to be proud of.

So here’s my reminder to all of us: take the little wins. Celebrate the small breakthroughs. The game is hard enough — don’t wait for perfection to feel good about the effort.

If you’ve had a weekend where the little wins meant more than the final placement, I’d love to hear about it. Share in the comments or on Instagram (@flyinghighretrievers). We all need these reminders sometimes.

Here is to the little wins, the hard tries, and the dogs who keep showing up for us,

Ryan Fisher

Owner and Team Development Officer

Flying High Retrievers

Long Island, New York