20172 LeFever Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97603, us
About Us
Founder, Michael Wakefield
Michael Wakefield started Three Hats Training Center in 2009 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It has been a long and rewarding process, but now it is up and running to full capacity. We have been approved by The Carriage Association Of America as an Evaluation Center. That means we have on site equipment for single, pair, tandem, and 4-in-hand as well as suitable horses and vehicles.
At this time, there are only two centers in the US and Three Hats is the only one on the West Coast. Michael studied in England at Swingletree Farm with John Parker and Susan Townsend. John Parker wrote the syllabi for the levels in the CAA Driver Proficiency Program based on The British Driving Society’s program.
Michael has a formidable training background, with over 40 years of experience with driving and training horses of many breeds in many disciplines.
Michael was raised on a farm in SE Minnesota that was tractorless. That is, it was entirely run on draft horse power. He has driven two horse corn planters (wire check), three horse cultivators, five horse grain binders, haying equipment of every description, and of course, wagons in every imaginable hitch arrangement.
In 1976 he became interested in carriage driving and the education began. He has competed in fine harness, pleasure, CDE, log skids, and drives the stagecoach for Wells Fargo Bank in their Stagecoach Appearance Program, appearing in parades and rodeos all over the Northwestern US.
Michael has achieved Level III and CAA Master Driver certification.