This annual Yorkshire Agricultural Society Trophy is generously awarded to a junior soldier from 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS) based at Catterick. Mr Charles Mills the Show Director said: “We are proud to have Yorkshire’s Own Regiment back with us again at GYS 2022 and to be able to award this prize in person to a deserving young Yorkshire soldier. It’s clear that Private Joe Kelsall has made quite an impact since joining his battalion only 12 months ago, and it’s a pleasure to have him here with us at the show”.
Pte Joe Kelsall is 23 and from Stoke and his passion for soldiering and sporting ability have proven him to be a formidable and motivating presence within Alma Coy, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS).
Joe joined 1 YORKS in July 2021 and in his first year of service in the British Army, he has exemplified the grit and determination that defines an infantry soldier of The Yorkshire Regiment. Consistently demonstrating a level of physical robustness and mental resilience that would normally be associated with far more experienced non-commissioned officers, he has quickly established himself as a central character within Alma Company.
Selected for the arduous and exacting international military Cambrian Patrol team, he was also a member of the winning team in the 1 YORKS Inter-Company Battle Race and a squad member of the Battalion’s hugely successful, First XV during the Army Rugby Union Premiership season. Latterly, Pte Kelsall has once again proven his sporting prowess and physical dominance in the Battalion’s Novice Boxing Competition, progressing through the preliminary rounds to the finals, and winning his Super Heavyweight bout against a heavier and more experienced boxer.
Pte Kelsall has been identified by both his fellow soldiers and his company’s officers as a leader of the future, and is now focused on his Junior Non-Commissioned Offer career path. For his continued dedication and professionalism, and for upholding the values and standards that epitomise a Yorkshire soldier, Pte Joe Kelsall is fully deserving of this formal recognition.
