'Frisbee' Rob and Sailor set new world record with 40-metre mini disc toss and catch

'Frisbee' Rob McLeod and his border collie-whippet mix Sailor. (Courtesy Rob McLeod)

CALGARY -

It came down to the wire for 'Frisbee' Rob McLeod and his border collie-whippet mix Sailor over the weekend as they attempted to set a world record for the longest mini disc distance to canine catch.

Under the World Flying Disc Federation rules, McLeod had 15 attempts to complete the 40-metre throw and catch — and they did it on the 14th try.

"There was 13 misses, a catch and then a miss," said McLeod.

"The first 10 throws I was throwing it way too hard and it kept flipping over, then the last round of five throws I just slowed down and threw it way softer and still put spin on it and they were way better."

Adding to the difficulty was the fact the mini disc McLeod threw — which is normally used to mark a shot in disc golf — weighs only 15 grams, and it was windy out.

"Every time I do these records, 15 attempts seems like a lot, but then all of a sudden you've got five attempts left and you're not sure if it will happen or not," he said.

McLeod and Sailor's successful throw and catch on Saturday was done at Bottomlands Park in northeast Calgary and has already been recognized by the World Flying Disc Federation. He has also submitted it to the Guinness Book of World Records, which, if recognized will be his seventh since he started throwing discs about 20 years ago.

His first three world records were for the longest mini disc self caught flight on ice skates (92 metres) and the longest hang time of a self caught disc (14 seconds), along with a combination of the two (longest flight and hang time for a self caught mini disc).

His other records are for the longest throw of a disc caught by a dog (122 metres), the longest time being in the air before being caught by a dog (10.69 seconds), and for hitting the most drinking cans in under a minute (28), the latter being done for a television show in China.

The timing of the latest  feat was significant as Wednesday marks Guinness World Records Day.

McLeod's name will be familiar to Calgary Stampeders fans as he and Sailor set an unofficial world record for the longest catch at a live sporting event during the halftime show on Oct. 23 at 109 yards. ESPN posted McLeod's video on TikTok and as of this week it has been viewed 24.2 million times.

The pair will also be at Saturday's Stamps game, which starts at 5 p.m., for a meet-and-greet.

Watch the record throw below: