Culling in search of rodeo gold

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Growing up in northern British Columbia, Stephen Culling didn’t have the typical childhood of a rodeo cowboy.

“My parents are both wildlife biologists,” said Culling, 29, a professional steer wrestler for Fort St. John who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time. “We had some pretty interesting adventures. When I was really young, I never went to daycare much. I usually jumped in the helicopter with them; that was a pretty cool thing I got to do.

“The things that most people wouldn’t even think about is the way I was growing up. I got to see a lot o...