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This season has been spectacular with regards the channel racing so far. It has been a while since i heard so many fanciers complaining about so many birds missing, including those that have won many times at the distance.
Having said that, birds have got through and we have our first ''batch'' of 2008 CHAMPIONS,

Tell me, was it good luck, positioning, feeding/system, guts and courage that make these gallant birds come, or am i missing something.

i think the owner makes the bird but the bird as got to want to do it

Understand where you are coming from tippler, but has the bird got what it takes to do it. Remember, this season has seen many hardened channel birds lost, some of the bigger national men would have sent their birds as a trainer these last 4 weeks to 300 miles, only to unexplainedly lose them.

can only answer for my self in the last 5 years i have only lost 3 birds across the water ad a few back the day after so i think mine did have what it takes

Quoted from allwhites

This season has been spectacular with regards the channel racing so far. It has been a while since i heard so many fanciers complaining about so many birds missing, including those that have won many times at the distance.
Having said that, birds have got through and we have our first ''batch'' of 2008 CHAMPIONS,

Tell me, was it good luck, positioning, feeding/system, guts and courage that make these gallant birds come, or am i missing something.

first of all congrats in having a great season, but in saying that, most fanciers are just coming up to distance races from now on . distance meaning 5 to 600 miles+ i,e heading "what makes a distance bird " i would say that it takes a "special " pigeon to race and win any prize in these sort  of distances ,usually birds that have distance bred into them [but not always so], then comes the the management , pigeons must be set up for these races [still having plenty fuel in the tank] a mature pigeon just having cast its first flight in June , and flown to the owners preference [knowing his or her pigeons] these special type of pigeon are very difficult to come by, as most newer or keener young fliers may not posses the patience in to hold on to younger pigeons until they   are fully mature [this, sometimes, is the hard bit ,especially nowadays for some reason ] but the points you have made ,above , certainly help,,,and one thing is sure they are very, very gallant pigeons , ive witnessed hardened racing pigeon fanciers actually weep [ive done it myself] seeing a pigeon drop on a wee back garden loft after flying these distances   i allways remember my father saying,,",the old head for the hard road" this saying has stuck with me , for over 60 years ,,,,,,best of luck matey