Loose Nut,
I've never flown a gazelle, but it sounds like something anyone could have done. I don't know about you, but flying Russian helicopters recently, which all have clockwise rotating rotors, I found it incredibly hard to use my right foot enough. Full right pedal was just such an unnatural thing to do; almost like walking backwards or something. I can easily see that in an emergency, when you have to react instantly...
No doubt someone will say you're an idiot; someone always does; some people love criticising others. But not anyone who's ever been in an emergency situation, in a helicopter in which they had a limited number of hours. So don't listen to those who don't understand and who should therefore shut up; learn from it and go on...as you have or you wouldn't have posted this thread.