Steady to wing and shot

Larsen had his first, solid flush-and-sit to wing and to shot.  This is a milestone.  Larsen can do master-level work.  

The flush came in his first turn.  I had been quartering him.  Once or twice, Shoni shot (with no bird in sight) and I pipped Larsen to sit.  He anticipated the whistle it seemed, which is real progress.  On a funny note, on a different turn about, Shoni shot behind Larsen's back as it were (Larsen was at 2 o'clock, and Shoni at 9 o'clock with me in the middle of the clock).  Larsen "sat" by somehow whipping his rear end about 270 degrees as sat to try to find out what he had missed on the shot.  I was then able to pip him to me.

On that same turn, Larsen was about 10 yards in front of me, and he flushed the bird out.  Shoni, at 9 o'clock shot the bird and it dropped about 20 yards out at about one o'clock, with me, Larsen, and the bird making a perfect line.  This was a perfect recipe for a break since there was nothing between Larsen and the bird but the tender summer-length grass of the Talapoosa river valley.  But the little guy sat and stayed steady.  I looked at Cathy and asked if I should pip him in.  She said, no, go ahead and send him.  I did, and he went to the bird keening with joy.  He made  the fetch and retrieve to hand.  (A little messy on the exchange, but ok.)

As is usual for a practice day, there were mistakes and meltdowns.  In another turn, Larsen balked toward a bird as I pipped him to sit.  I broke toward him, and he broke to the bird.  It was that look over his shoulder where he takes my measure and "digs in" as Shoni said later - - tearing up the turf to the bird as fast as he could.  That was a backward step, of course.  But, there is no taking back that first turn, and it gives us a mental model and measure of confidence to build on.