The origin of the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show dates back to 1919 with the formation of the Branchville Riding Club.

At the time, the Club charged 25 cents for admission and offered ribbons and trophies to sharpen the competition.

That record stood until 1955, when Bill and Rock, a team owned by Harold Daniels of Newark Valley, New York, pulled 10,695 pounds.

The Sussex County Farm and Horse Show was not held from 1942 through 1945 due to World War II.

By the early 1960s it was apparent that the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show had outgrown the Branchville fairgrounds.

In addition, internal pedestrian traffic was becoming dangerous due to the increased crowds of people within the crossings between the rings and the temporary stables.

In response to this, the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show formed a committee to locate suitable property to purchase for a new fairground.

After limiting the number of sites to three, a farm owned by Bill McDanold's located in Augusta, New Jersey was purchased in 1963.

Construction accelerated several years later and in 1976 the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show moved to its new location in Augusta.

In celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, each Sussex County township was encouraged to bring a float to the fairgrounds that would be paraded around the main ring on opening night.

At the same time, admittance fees were collected not at the pedestrian entrance gates as they are today, but rather at the roadway access points as the attendees entered in their cars.

With property now under its ownership, the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show was able to construct permanent buildings.

Today's Fair also includes other types of entertainment including concerts, a petting zoo, a demolition derby, tractor pulls (standard and modified), carnival rides, pig races, lawnmower races, a chain saw art auction and many, many other activities that can be enjoyed by all ages.